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Perhaps it was thought any hint of human mortality would conflict
with the "upbeat" tone but surely an article on older people`s services
should include some reference to terminal illness and the provision of
palliative care? At present formal care especially as an inpatient is
limited to the tiny minority who die in hospices nearly always from
cancer. Even this minority is currently in decline due to the financial
crisis affecting many hospices. The aim should be to make such care
available to all who would benefit whatever the setting and whatever the
illness or condition from which they are suffering. The resource
implications may make this impossible but at least there could be much
greater uniformity in the provision of drugs to alleviate symptoms and so
on at comparatively modest cost.
What about palliative services
Perhaps it was thought any hint of human mortality would conflict
with the "upbeat" tone but surely an article on older people`s services
should include some reference to terminal illness and the provision of
palliative care? At present formal care especially as an inpatient is
limited to the tiny minority who die in hospices nearly always from
cancer. Even this minority is currently in decline due to the financial
crisis affecting many hospices. The aim should be to make such care
available to all who would benefit whatever the setting and whatever the
illness or condition from which they are suffering. The resource
implications may make this impossible but at least there could be much
greater uniformity in the provision of drugs to alleviate symptoms and so
on at comparatively modest cost.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests