Centre for Policy on Ageing



Which patients with terminal cancer are admitted from home care?
Author(s)	John Hinton
Journal title	Palliative Medicine, vol 8, 1994
Pages	pp 197-210
Keywords	Cancer ; Home nursing ; Admission ; Terminal care.
Annotation	The factors relating to admission of 415 patients with terminal cancer from a reputable home care service to hospice are examined. Reasons given by staff for immediate admissions were mostly to improve symptom control or to provide respite; for final admissions, the reasons were symptom control, patients' deteriorated state, and relatives needing relief. Independent weekly assessments usually concurred in showing increased problems or distress preceding final admission, particularly patients' weakness, pain, depression and anxiety, and relatives' fatigue, anxiety or depression. Few patients living alone or with unfit relatives stayed at home. The proportion of patients admitted steadily increased as care lengthened. Recognition of both immediate and underlying causes of admission can indicate where further treatment or assistance is needed, and also improve understanding so that patients and relatives may be suitably supported or helped to adjust. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-010227227 A
Classmark	CK: N4: QKH: LV *
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.