[Journal Article] Comfort and Satisfaction with Care of Home-Dwelling Dementia Patients at the End of Life
Authors: Ri Yin Tay, Allyn Y M Hum, Noorhazlina B Ali, Ian Y O Leong, Huei Yaw Wu, Jing Jih Chin, Angel O K Lee, Mervyn Y H Koh
Published in: J Pain Symptom Manage. 2020 May;59(5):1019-1032.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.12.004. Epub 2019 Dec 16. PMID: 31837451.
Summary points:
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The prescription of anti-cholinergic agents for secretion management and the limited use of antibiotics (≤1 course) in the last 2 weeks of life were associated with the comfort of home-dwelling advanced dementia patients, highlighting the importance of instituting measures in advance to prevent suffering and adopting a deliberated approach towards antibiotics use in advanced dementia at the end-of-life.
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Family caregivers’ satisfaction with care post bereavement was associated with patients’ comfort and the fulfilment of medical intervention preferences, emphasising the value that family caregivers placed on these factors.
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An interplay of factors is associated with patients’ comfort and family caregivers’ satisfaction with care. Modifiable factors can be targeted to improve the quality of care at home at the end-of-life.
