title: Residential aged-care facility palliative care guidelines: improving care.
abstract: The Guidelines for a Palliative Approach in Residential Aged Care (Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, 2004) are the result of the synthesis of evidence from three disciplines: geriatrics, gerontology and palliative care. Each paradigm challenges and informs the others, together developing a balanced and enriched understanding of palliative aged care. The guidelines address the challenges of the clinical and service delivery contexts of palliative care in residential aged care facilities, including the impact of complex, co-morbid illnesses with unpredictable trajectories; shorter, more dependent inpatient stays; and an evolving accreditation process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative and Supportive Services, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia. david.currow@rgh.sa.gov.au
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Currow
authors.forename: Meg
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hegarty
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D015897:Comorbidity; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005544:Forecasting; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000592:standards*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D006291:Health Policy; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007902:Length of Stay; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*