title: The provision of care for residents dying in U.K. nursing care homes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to identify the care currently provided to residents dying in U.K. nursing care homes.
  
  
  METHODS
  study participants were residents who had died within 38 nursing care homes in southeast England over a 3-year period. The nursing care homes had been recruited to take part in a cluster randomised controlled trial looking at different models of facilitation while implementing the Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes (GSFCH) programme. Two researchers examined the notes and daily records of all residents who died in each of these homes between the 1 June 2008 and the 31 May 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  a total of 2,444 residents died during the 3-year period. Fifty-six percent of these residents died within a year of admission. The support from specialist healthcare services to residents during their last 6 months of life was variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  nursing care homes have established links with some external healthcare providers. These links included the GP, palliative care nurses and physiotherapy. As dependency of resident increase with 56% residents dying within a year of admission these links need to be expanded. The provision of health care that meets the needs of future nursing care home residents needs to be 'proactively' obtained rather than left to chance.
authors.affiliation: Care Home Project Team, St Christophers Hospice, 51-59 Lawrie Park Road Sydenham, London SE26 6DZ, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinley
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hockley
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dewey
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hansford
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McCrone
authors.forename: Aysha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Begum
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sykes
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006707:Homes for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009026:Mortality; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D009737:Nursing Records / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D058996:Quality Improvement; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: dying; health care provision, older people; nursing homes; older people