Blog

Older people diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) often face intensive and costly treatment, a high symptom burden, and frequent hospital visits. Despite evidence that specialist palliative care (SPC) improves quality of life, it is often introduced late due to misconceptions and limited exploration of its economic value. In this blog, Dr Elise Button, A.Prof Nikki McCaffrey and A.Prof Hannah Carter explore the impact of referring patients to SPC at diagnosis rather than waiting until later stages. Could earlier support change both outcomes and costs?

In this blog, Dr Robin Blythe and Prof. Adrian Barnett examines the role of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) n planning for end-of-life care among older people. While the CFS is a validated and widely used tool that ranks frailty from very fit to terminally ill. Their study raised the caution against relying on it to predict death within 90 days or to determine who should receive treatment or begin end-of-life discussions.

In this blog, Dr Claudia Meyer explores how respite and transition care can be reimagined through a person-centred, rights-based approach that supports both people living with dementia and their carers. Drawing on realist research with colleagues, the blog examines how respite and transition care programs work in real-world settings.

In this blog, Dr Janani Thillainadesan and Professor David Le Couteur examine end-of-life care for people with dementia, highlighting the challenges of an unpredictable disease and the crucial role of hospital teams. They discuss current practices, successes, and areas where better planning and conversations could improve dignity, comfort, and choice at the end of life.

In this blog, Dr Jianxia Zhai, Lecturer in Nursing, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, STEM College, RMIT University, highlights her research on the impact of embedding a Palliative Care Nurse Consultant (PCNC) within a general medicine ward. The study found that the PCNC played a crucial role in improving care, communication, and patient outcomes, while also revealing the challenges involved in integrating this role into a busy hospital environment.