From our Director

This surge of activity reflects a growing awareness in both health and aged care that increased palliative care capacity and capability is critical to support people requiring palliative care across the life course, including care at the end of life for a growing number of older people given our ageing population. RePaDD continues to remain involved in vital research that guides clinical care, enables evidence to be shared and used in all health care settings and in aged care, informs service design and delivery, as well as research that seeks to understand the needs and experiences of people requiring palliative care and their families.

We are fortunate to have the diversity in skills, background, and expertise within the RePaDD team to support these different research needs. We also work closely with practitioners in the heath and aged care systems as well as other research and academic teams to leverage and amplify our research. We are continuing to expand our resources through content added to the website, our seminar series, and an active social media. We believe this is core business as research findings are not sufficient in themselves; they need to be used to be able to improve outcomes for patients, systems, and communities.

RePaDD updates

Congratulations to Teams Behind Grant Successes

Congratulations to:

Dr Caroline Phelan, Dr Tim To, Dr Peter Allcroft and Dr Muireann O’Loughlin, who have been successful in winning two SALHN Research Grants on their projects: Feasibility study for a novel approach to delivery of breakthrough analgesics in palliative care and Effectiveness of a novel approach to dry mouth in palliative care.

A/Prof Aileen Collier, along with A/Prof Ann Dadich (WSU), Prof Gregory Crawford (NALHN), Sue Niedeck (Northern Adelaide Geriatrics Service), Jason Standen, (Emergency Department, Modbury Hospital) and Dr Lynette Jones (NALHN) - on their Directorate Research Grant for the project: Older people with cognitive impairment and patient safety in the emergency department.

In partnership with Carers SA, RePaDD is conducting a study to explore the experience of unpaid family and friend Carers of palliative patients about their access to information and services that they need in their caring role and in maintaining their own health and wellbeing.

We are looking for unpaid Carers of family member or friend in South Australia who are 18 years or older and provide care, currently or within the last two years, to an adult palliative patient in South Australia. If you or someone you know meets these criteria and can set aside some time to take part in an individual interview session and a small group discussion, please contact Kathy Boschen at Flinders University for more information and to register interest.

Financial compensation of $30 provided for participation in each session. 

In Focus - Palliative Care in Acute Care

RePaDD researchers have scanned recent evidence and collaborated with a range of acute care clinicians, policy leaders, and researchers to develop a new acute care section within the CareSearch Information Portal.

The new acute care section provides easy access to curated information and resources specifically for health professionals working within the acute care setting. This includes access to validated tools to recognise the need for palliative care, as well as evidence-based resources to aid in communication, shared decision-making and to aid in responding to patient needs.

As part of the launch, they also released In Focus - Palliative Care in Acute Care, highlighting that palliative care is an integral and increasing part of hospital-based care that requires the recognition of patient needs and priorities as they transition from curative to palliative care. The co-design of these webpages with representatives of the acute care sector was an important part of meeting the needs of acute care health professionals and is an integral part of the CareSearch model.

Evidence Centre for palliative care and care at the end of life

Palliative care is focused on quality of life when death is foreseeable. Your preferences or those of the person you care for are central to providing quality palliative care. There are many decisions to be made. Circumstances will differ and what was true for one person may not be for another. Evidence helps by helping us to understand the issues and by showing us the most likely symptoms and care needs with a given diagnosis and likely impacts of different care decisions and interventions. 

Understanding what research has found can help you consider options and courses of action and how they fit with your personal circumstances or those of the person you are supporting. To help everyone access relevant evidence to make informed decisions at the end of life, CareSearch has developed the Evidence Centre.

The Practice Ready pages connect you with current care guidelines and summaries of the latest evidence around common clinical issues at the end of life. Searching for Evidence helps you to find new evidence or specific evidence on issues important to you. For those looking to upskill or introduce practice change, the Evidence training and Translation training hubs step through what should be considered and what you need to do.

The Conversation: The NDIS promises lifelong support – but what about end-of-life support for people with disability?

An article written by Kathy Boschen, PhD Candidate, Research Associate and Casual Academic, for The Conversation

Official estimates predict that by 2032, more than one million Australians will be supported by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Much of the focus on the NDIS has been with how much it will cost, how people can get on it and how they can best spend the funds allocated in their plans. But no attention has so far been placed on the end-of-life needs of this highly marginalised population. People with psychosocial disabilities (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or major depressive disorders) and life-limiting diagnoses are particularly vulnerable.

Published research

Serious health-related suffering experienced by children with disability and their families living in Bangladesh: A scoping review

An estimated 21 million children globally live with conditions which would benefit from a palliative approach to relieve suffering. Bangladesh is a...Read More

Allied health professionals' contribution to care at end of life in aged care settings

The Australian population is aging, and the proportion of older Australians will continue to grow over the coming decades. However, there is a lack...Read More

Patient safety and hospital visiting at the end of life during COVID-19 restrictions in Aotearoa New Zealand: a qualitative study

Visiting restrictions were enacted in Aotearoa New Zealand to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and protect the healthcare system. This research aimed...Read More

Relieving perception of thirst and xerostomia in patients with palliative and end-of-life care needs: a rapid review

Thirst and dry mouth are interlinked symptoms that frequently cause significant distress for patients with life-limiting conditions. The objective of this...Read More

Events

National Advance Care Planning Week
Planning Matters: Perspectives on advance care planning

Join us for this webinar with speakers from Advance Care Planning Australia, CareSearch (Dying2Learn) and NBN Co as they unpack the purpose and value of advance care planning, sentiments around advance care planning and palliative care, and why planning for your digital legacy matters.

Advance care planning is being prepared. But there are many aspects of being prepared for the future, including end of life. This seminar, hosted by RePaDD, explores different parts of being prepared.

Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA) runs National Advance Care Planning Week each year to encourage conversations about planning for the future. Xanthe Sansome, National Program Manager at ACPA, will explain why advance care planning matters.

With technology comes a digital footprint which, at the time of death, becomes a person's digital legacy; online photos, social media, digital e-books, health information - just to name a few. Rohan Watts from NBN Co will explain why digital legacy matters.

Jennifer Tieman from Flinders University will share some data from Dying2Learn on community feelings around the concept of advance care planning.

RePaDD Seminar Series

The RePaDD lunchtime seminars, held fortnightly on Tuesdays from 12:30-1:30pm, is a free series open to all, focussed research implications for palliative care, death and dying across the community, and health and social systems. You can catch up on past seminars here.

Upcoming Seminars:

14 March 2023: Voluntary Assisted Dying
Dr Peter Allcroft, Senior Staff Specialist, Southern Adelaide Palliative Services, and Emily Pumpa, Interim Nursing Director, South Australian Voluntary Assisted Dying Care Navigator Service

28 March 2023: The Advance Project: Dementia Training and Toolkit
Professor Josephine Clayton, Project Director, and Jon San Martin, Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Consultant, The Advance Project, The Palliative Centre, HammondCare

11 April 2023: ELDAC Coffee Cart Competition
Dr Priyanka Vandersman, Research Fellow, End of Life Directions for Aged Care

Want to contribute to the RePaDD Review? 
Please submit your story or feedback to repadd@flinders.edu.au