Overview

This topic addresses particular palliative clinical issues and clinical decision making for older people with a life limiting illness within residential aged care facilities and community settings. 

Topic availabilities

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Tuition pattern

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Aims

This topic aims to broaden student knowledge and understanding of the palliative and end-of-life care needs of older people across a variety of care settings. This will be achieved through:

  • Examination of common dying trajectories of malignant and non-malignant conditions for older people with life-limiting illness
  • Evaluation of assessment tools that identify approaching end of life and care requirements
  • Review of advance care planning and advance care directives as they relate to older people, including those with cognitive impairment
  • Exploration of grief and loss considerations of older patients, their families and carers and health professionals

Learning outcomes

On completion of this topic you will be expected to be able to:
1.
Describe the philosophy and practice of palliative and end-of-life care for older people in a variety of settings
2.
Critique the common dying trajectories of older people with a life-limiting illness and differentiate between the decline in malignant and non-malignant conditions
3.
Evaluate assessment tools that identify when a person is approaching the end of life and also inform decision making about care provision
4.
Examine the scope of advance care planning for older people, particularly those with cognitive impairment. Describe the complexity of decision making in the absence of an advance care directive
5.
Explore the scope of advance care directives and their relevance to local legislative frameworks, interpreting their implications for clinical practice
6.
Describe the assessment and management of symptoms in the end-of-life care of older people
7.
Discuss the implications of loss and grief experienced by older patients, their families and carers and health professionals providing care

Assessments

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Current students should refer to FLO for detailed assessment information, including due dates. Assessment information is accurate at the time of publishing.

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Requisites information

Pre-requisites: