References
Providing effective dying symptom control at home
Dying at home is idealised in policy and clinical discourse as a way people can be in a comforting space for their last days of life, surrounded by loved ones, free from pain and distress. However, a significant proportion of accounts from bereaved carers challenge this assumption and these make make for uncomfortable but important reading (Bowers et al, 2022; Pollock et al, 2023; Johansson et al, 2024). Healthcare professionals need to learn from these experiences to ensure timely and effective dying symptom control care at home.
The number of deaths occurring at home increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend has continued and is projected to rise further (Bone et al, 2018). In England, 49.3% of deaths occurred at home and care homes in 2022 (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2024). The shift towards providing more care at home in the last days of life has added to the demands on the already over-stretched community nursing and primary care teams, who are managing increasingly complex patients with limited resources.
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