̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - care

̽��ֱ��medic making a difference to the care of trans patients

cjb250 — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:00:21 +0000

Medical students are taught about some of the rarest diseases, yet do not learn something as important as how to care for trans patients. This needs to change, says intensive care specialist Luke Flower.

Early foster care gave poor women power, 17th-century records reveal

ta385 — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 05:45:00 +0000

A rare collection of 300-year-old petitions gives voice to the forgotten women who cared for England’s most vulnerable children while battling their local authorities.

One in ten stroke survivors need more help with taking medication

cjb250 — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 02:51:21 +0000

According to the Stroke Associations, as many as four in ten people who have had a stroke, go on to have another one within ten years. As a second stroke carries a greater risk of disability and death than first time strokes, it is important that survivors take medicine daily to lower their risk. There are around 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK, and at least a third suffer from severe impairments, potentially making adherence to their medicine difficult.

Half of survivors of stroke are dependent on others for everyday activities, though the proportion dependent on others for medicine taking or needing more practical help with tablets is not known.

To examine the practical support stroke survivors living in the community need and receive with taking their medicines, researchers at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Queen Mary ̽��ֱ�� of London carried out a postal questionnaire study. ̽��ֱ��researchers developed the questionnaire together with stroke survivors and caregivers. ̽��ֱ��questionnaire was completed by 600 participants across 18 GP practices in the UK.

More than half (56%) of respondents needed help with taking medication. This included help with prescriptions and collection of medicines (50%), getting medicines out of the packaging (28%), being reminded to take medicines (36%), swallowing medicines (20%) and checking that medicines have been taken (34%). Being dependent on others was linked to experiencing more unmet needs with daily medicine taking.

Around one in ten (11%) of respondents answered yes to the question “Do you feel you need more help?” ̽��ֱ��most commonly reported areas where respondents said they needed more assistance were being reminded to take medicines, dealing with prescriptions and collection of medicines, and getting medicines out the packaging. As a result, around one in three (35%) of respondents said they had missed taking medicine in the previous 30 days.

Stroke survivors taking a higher number of daily medicines and experiencing a greater number unmet needs with practical aspects of medicine-taking were more likely to miss medications.

Interestingly, the researchers found that younger stroke survivors were more likely to miss their medicines, possibly because they are less likely to receive help from a caregiver.

“Because of the risk of a second stroke, it’s important that stroke survivors take their medication, but our study has shown that this can present challenges,” says Dr Anna De Simoni from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and Queen Mary ̽��ֱ�� of London. “In the majority of cases, they receive the help they need, but there is still a sizeable minority who don’t receive all the assistance they need.”

James Jamison at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, who led the study as part of his PhD, adds: “Our study has shown us some of the barriers that people face to taking their medication regularly. We also learned that stroke survivors who are dependent on others are most likely to need more assistance than they currently receive.

“Our response rate was relatively low – just over one in three – so we need more research to find out if what we’ve heard from our respondents is widespread among stroke survivors. If so, this will have implications for the care provided.”

̽��ֱ��team point to the need to develop new interventions focused on the practicalities of taking medicines and aimed at improving stroke survivors’ adherence to treatment. “Advances in technology have the potential to help improve adherence, such as electronic devices prompting medication taking times,” says Jamison. “Efforts to improve medication taking among survivors of stroke using technology are already underway and have shown promise.”

̽��ֱ��research was supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the Stroke Association and the British Heart Foundation.

Reference
Jamison J, Ayerbe L, Di Tanna GL, Sutton S, Mant J, De Simoni A. Evaluating practical support stroke survivors get with medicines and unmet needs in primary care: A survey. 2018 BMJ Open. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019874

Over a half of stroke patients require a degree of help with taking medicine and a sizeable minority say they do not receive as much assistance as they need, according a study published today in the journal BMJ Open.

Because of the risk of a second stroke, it’s important that stroke survivors take their medication, but our study has shown that this can present challenges

Anna De Simoni

frankieleon

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Researcher profile: James Jamison

James’ research seeks to understand why people sometimes do not take the medications prescribed by their GP – and then to use this to inform interventions aimed at improving their medication taking practices.

His day-to-day activities are very varied, he says. “They can involve anything from the development of research proposals, liaising with GP practices and pharmacies in the East of England to set up research studies, training health care professionals in research procedures, conducting interviews with patients, collecting questionnaire data or writing up research for publications in health care journals.”

However, the most rewarding and interesting part is coming face-to-face with stroke survivors and their caregivers to talk about their condition and the daily challenges they face, he adds.

“Working at Cambridge provides the opportunity to be part of a leading department conducting research in primary care and offers the potential to work with esteemed colleagues in the field,” he says. “ ̽��ֱ��opportunity to deliver high quality research outputs and undertake collaborations will hopefully help further my career as a successful health care researcher.”

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Questions of life and death

amb206 — Fri, 04 Nov 2016 12:30:00 +0000

Toast is burning in one of the ward kitchens at St Christopher’s Hospice in south London. Members of the nursing staff rush to open the windows, laughing at this minor disaster. In a room down the corridor a young man called Kevin is confronting a future in which he will play no part. He’s married with two young children – and has terminal cancer. Imagining his boys growing up without him is more painful than the disease destroying him. Kevin and his wife have accepted that he will soon be gone: she wants him to die at home but he doesn’t want to frighten his sons.

These are just two of the moments captured in ̽��ֱ��Time to Die a documentary made in the 1990s by Nikki Stockley. Commissioned by the BBC, the film addresses a subject that remains taboo for many of us: death. Stockley focuses on three people whose lives are ending. They and those they love share their feelings. Doris hopes she won’t linger: she doesn’t want to die “inch by inch”. Hazel has lost interest in clothes and no longer looks in the mirror. She has told the hospice staff that she wants to die at home. Her boyfriend fears he would not cope; often he feels like running away.

Earlier this year, academics from three different disciplines (Emma Wilson, Professor of French Literature and the Visual Arts, Dr Stephen Barclay, Senior Lecturer in General Practice and Palliative Care, and Dr Robbie Duschinsky, Lecturer in Social Sciences) sat down to plan a seminar series that would encourage a broad dialogue about care and dying, using the medium of film as a framework. Wilson, who has a specialist interest in film, proposed that ̽��ֱ��Time to Die would make a powerful starting point.

Wilson said: “What I admire so much about Nikki’s documentary is the openness of the interviews, Nikki’s presence, her connection to her subjects, allowing complex emotions to be put into words. It feels like a work of accompaniment, very patient, very calm, opening up possibilities for a non-intrusive presence of the camera in this community, and a tender, caring work of editing, piecing together a visual narrative.”

̽��ֱ��first of five seminars planned for the current academic year took place last week. Revd Dr Derek J Fraser, lead chaplain at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, talked about the role of his team in supporting patients and those close to them. A screening of ̽��ֱ��Time to Die was followed by a Q and A. Stockley took questions from an audience who included health professionals, members of the public, counsellors and representatives from local hospices. ̽��ֱ��making of a documentary about so sensitive a topic prompted questions about the relationships involved and the editing process.

Stockley spent four weeks filming at St Christopher’s. ̽��ֱ��Time to Die is, perhaps most importantly, a tribute to those it features, the patients and staff of a hospice acknowledged to be a pioneer in end-of-life care. She spoke of the closeness that developed between her team and the people they filmed – and her own emotional response. “I needed to remind myself that my sadness was nothing compared to those I was filming.” She also talked about the difficulty of negotiating a commission to make a film looking at death.

Junior doctors can expect to deal with as many as 40 to 50 deaths a year in the course of their work. Yet most people, in a society that protects itself from the reality of human frailty and mortality, have never witnessed death close up. Stockley suggested that film could offer a “safe way” of exploring some of the things we ask ourselves (how do people die, what’s it like to die) but seldom give voice to. Even the staff at St Christopher’s seldom talk about their own deaths. Medical statisticians have their devised their own code for death – they call it 'negative patient outcome'.

If ̽��ֱ��Time to Die is brave, it is also deeply respectful – and quite rightly so. Film, certainly not one made for general viewing, cannot convey the emotional rawness of death. Death has a smell. It can be messy and protracted. It’s exhausting and deeply sad. Death affects the professionals involved as well as patients and their loved ones. At one point in the documentary, a nurse is overcome by emotion and fights back tears. How do we negotiate the line between personal and professional?

Several Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� medical students attended the seminar. Chris Kassam said: “Working with patients at the end of life can leave you feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of the experience, and the easy option is to withdraw behind a mask of professionalism. I think the film and discussion helped me to realise that what patients and their families may need most at such times is not a doctor but another human being to simply be there with them."

Health care assistants are among the front line staff who get to know patients best. Aiden Ferguson, a healthcare assistant at Addenbrooke's, said the documentary demonstrated that "professionalism is not nearly enough". He commented: " ̽��ֱ��film crystallises the importance of connecting with others in a way that is deeply present and true - and these connections can be forged with patients who have a terminal diagnosis and those who do not, with friends and family, with someone unknown."

Despite the sadness of its subject matter, there is a gentle optimism about ̽��ֱ��Time to Die – and many of the scenes it captures are revelatory. Patients in palliative care, says a nurse, find it “quite comforting” to see other patients immediately after death. St Christopher’s doesn’t cover the faces of those who die. Instead a single flower is placed on the pillow as the body is wheeled away. Interviews with relatives are reminders that life goes on. “I’ve thrown away his toothbrush,” says Kevin’s wife, shortly after his death. “And now I’m looking at the shoes he wore last time he came home.”

Doctors like to fix things: they train in medicine because they like solving problems and want to make people better. In his introduction, Barclay suggested that this impulse is at the root of the profession’s difficulties with handling death and bereavement.

̽��ֱ��Time to Die is a portrait of a hospice dedicated to end-of-life care. A general hospital faces different pressures, many of them driven by time. Fraser said that time was not always the critical factor – it was often a question of finding the right moment and language for a fairly brief conversation. A personal loss had, he said, “changed profoundly” how he approached his role at Addenbrooke’s. “I’ve learnt that there is sometimes nothing to say – no solution. But to validate sadness is so important.”

Among the professionals in the audience was Michelle Reynolds, Acting Head of Staff Counselling at Cambridge ̽��ֱ��’s Counselling Service. She said: “ ̽��ֱ��combination of the film and Fraser’s own testimony made the seminar an evocative experience. Twenty years have passed since the making of the documentary – and the need for good palliative care is as great as ever. Death doesn’t change its impact on the family, friends and the professionals involved. No-one is immune.”

We don’t know when or how we will die: death is one of the life processes that defies organisation. But with careful planning, an acknowledgment of our wishes and the support of skilled professionals and loving family and friends, there is much we can do. ̽��ֱ��Time to Die shows no happy endings but demonstrates how much caring means. Kevin dies at St Christopher’s, as he had wanted, with his wife with him. Hazel dies at home, quietly and gently in her boyfriend’s arms. Standing in a rainswept churchyard after Hazel’s funeral, he is quietly proud.

̽��ֱ��seminar series continues on Wednesday, 9 November 2016 with guest speakers Professor Bee Wee, NHS England's National Clinical Director for End of Life Care and Dr Anna Elsner, ̽��ֱ�� of Zurich. Professor Wee will discuss developments in national policy and practice in palliative and end of life care since the withdrawal of the Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying. Dr Elsner will discuss a documentary exploring end-of-life care in Switzerland, 'Die weisse Arche'/' ̽��ֱ��white ark' (2015) and the Ars Moriendi (arts of dying) tradition. All welcome, no charge, booking required.

Inset image: Physician; credit: Yuya Tamai.

An ambitious seminar series began last week with a discussion of a remarkable documentary. Filmed in a pioneering hospice, ̽��ֱ��Time to Die addresses a subject that remains taboo for many. Joining the conversation are health professionals, medical students and members of the public, as well as those interested in film and ethics. ̽��ֱ��series continues on 9 November 2016.

̽��ֱ��film and discussion helped me to realise that what patients and their families may need most is not a doctor but another human being to simply be there with them.

Chris Kassam, medical student

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Life and death

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Trilogy of short films explores young people’s views of life in social care

jfp40 — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 16:56:36 +0000

̽��ֱ��film, Our House, is the third in a trilogy of films about life in the care system developed by young people working with a team of professionals as a way of giving them a voice within the care system and providing new skills to help them in future life. ̽��ֱ��young people were national finalists for the Children in Care Award at the Children & Young People Now Awards 2014, for their work on the first two films, My Name is Joe, about being taken into care, and Finding My Way, about leaving care. Earlier this year, Finding My Way won a documentary award at the BFI Future Film Festival for young film-makers.

̽��ֱ��films are part of a research project run by the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC) East of England, a collaboration between universities and service providers. Partners in the film projects are the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambridgeshire Film Consortium. ̽��ֱ��latest film was jointly funded with a donation from the Isaac Newton ̽��ֱ�� Lodge, Cambridge.

̽��ֱ��films have all been created at four-day animation summer schools, held each August for the last three years, at which young people in care and care leavers work with a team of professionals to explore difficult and sensitive issues through sound, music and animation.

“These films work on so many levels", explains Valerie Dunn, a researcher in the Department of Psychiatry, who led the project. “They give young people a voice, ensuring that that their own, authentic experiences can be part of the debate about the services which directly affect their lives. In terms of research, film-making like this is a really exciting way of getting under the skin of a complex issue and working with groups who may be difficult to engage in more traditional approaches.”

During the summer school the young people learned new skills in terms of film-making, animation and sound recording, but their learning also extended to team-building skills, self-expression, learning a work routine, timing, working to deadlines and negotiation skills.

“Although the end products – the films – are important, the production process is equally, if not more, important,” explains Tom Mellor, a youth worker who facilitated the workshops. “Young people in care often find self-expression difficult and our approach provides a creative way of them exploring and sharing their opinions, experiences, thoughts and feelings. They learn a lot – but so do we, the adults, as we all work towards a common goal in a safe environment. Crucially, we all have a lot of fun along the way.”

Under the tutelage of filmmakers Ryd Cook and Andy Dunn, for each film the young people filmed some live action, either at studios at Anglia Ruskin ̽��ֱ�� or, for the latest film, on location in residential homes. Sound artist James Rogers worked with the young people on the sound track and sound effects. On the latest film he worked with one young man, Twitch, to produce We All Have A Life, We All Have A Story, a rap which ends the film. Animator Lizzy Hobbs taught animation techniques and inspired the young people to create and animate images and consider the overall production.

Speaking about the latest film, Michelle Dean, Children's Social Care Participation Manager at Cambridgeshire County Council, says: “We all learned a great deal through this process about how young people view residential care. They clearly want the choice of living either in a residential setting or in a smaller foster care placement: those who were allowed to choose were better able to settle in. Some young people also have a positive experience of their care, forming very strong attachments to residential staff and preferring residential care to foster care. ̽��ֱ��staff are the key to success and can be important sources of support and information. But most of all, young people want to be listened to.”

One of the young people is now keen to pursue a career in film design and recently completed a BFI Film Academy week, run by the Cambridgeshire Film Consortium, for talented 16-19 year olds wanting to join the film industry. “I wouldn’t be where I am now if I hadn’t done this film project. I’ve learned loads and it’s been so fantastic,” she says.

At the annual local authority Children in Care awards last week the young people turned the tables and gave the professionals an Outstanding Achievement Award: “For giving us the help and guidance to make our and other young people’s voices heard. For being so supportive, helpful and understanding. We make such a great team – simply outstanding.”

Between them, the films have over 7,000 views on YouTube. ̽��ֱ��first two are being used to train foster carers, social workers and young people all over the UK by local authorities, fostering agencies and colleges. My Name is Joe has been incorporated into the new edition of ̽��ֱ��Skills to Foster, the most widely used training scheme in the UK for prospective foster carers, produced by ̽��ֱ��Fostering Network. Short Behind the Scenes films show the young people at work.

A powerful new short film created with young people in residential care is helping provide valuable insights for service providers into the challenges of life in residential care from the perspective of the young people within the system.

These films work on so many levels. They give young people a voice, ensuring that that their own, authentic experiences can be part of the debate about the services which directly affect their lives.

Valerie Dunn

Our House

̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge

Still from animation "Our House"

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Insight Day shares best practice on supporting children in care into university

sjr90 — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:31:47 +0000

Organised by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge’s Realise project for young people in care, and hosted by Newnham College, the Insight Day included an update on student finance, a session on careers, and a tour of the College’s accommodation and study facilities.

Realise aims to support young people in care to access Higher Education by providing taster days at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, packed with advice, inspiration and support.

A typical Realise event includes academic-led sessions focusing on a particular subject area, an opportunity to explore the ̽��ֱ��, and age-appropriate talks about support for care leavers at university, student finance and careers. Student ambassadors– and if possible a care leaver - are also on hand throughout the day to discuss student life.

̽��ֱ��Insight Day was created in recognition of the important role foster carers and other professionals play in providing advice and support to young people considering whether to stay in education.

“ ̽��ֱ��adults in our lives can have a huge impact on us as we grow up,” explains Claire Gardner, who co-ordinates the Realise project at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge.

“Ensuring that professionals and carers have accurate, up-to-date information about higher education and the support available for care leavers, is crucial to young people in care considering university as a realistic option for them.”

Irene Smith attended as one of a group of foster carers from Essex. “We need to find out ourselves, because it’s changed so much recently,” Irene said. “ ̽��ֱ��information about financial support was especially helpful.

“It’s also been interesting to see the steps you take to apply through UCAS.

“These days are really good. Each time you come to one you learn a little bit more,” Irene added.

“ ̽��ֱ��Insight Day gave participants the opportunity to shared their experiences of supporting children in care in their education, and the challenges that they faced,” Claire commented.

“Everyone worked together to suggest ways forward, and I feel really positive knowing that these professionals left the event feeling equipped with the information and skills necessary to support the young people in their care to succeed in their education, and aspire to attend university.”

For more about Realise, and the support available for children in care who are thinking about apply to university, visit: www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/events/care

Foster carers, social workers and education professionals working with children in care enjoyed an opportunity to share best practice and find out more about supporting young people into university at the 2014 Realise Insight Day.

“These days are really good. Each time you come to one you learn a little bit more."

Irene Smith, Foster Carer

Yes

2013 National Scholarship Programme Awards made

sj387 — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 10:58:19 +0000

̽��ֱ��students, from families with an income of less than £25,000, have each been awarded the £6,000 as a fee waiver. This is in addition to their Cambridge Bursary of £3,500.

̽��ֱ��NSP is run jointly by the Government scheme and the universities. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has chosen to give priority for NSP awards to care leavers, to students who were in receipt of free school meals, and to lone parents.

Geography student Katie was one of 136 students awarded support from the NSP in 2012.

"I'm the first in my family to go to university,” Katie explained. “I know that I don't have to pay fees back until I graduate but it was still a worry for my parents.

“Thanks to the NSP fee waiver I am borrowing less and they are more relaxed about me studying for a degree,” Katie added.

“By taking part in the NSP, we hope to provide additional reassurance to students from low-income families that taking up a place at Cambridge is affordable,” said Dr Patricia Fara, Senior Tutor of Clare College, and the Chair of the NSP panel that considered applications.

“We are particularly pleased to have been able to make an award to every student accepted this year who has been on free school meals, and to every care leaver,” Dr Fara added.

“In order to encourage students from all backgrounds to apply, the ̽��ֱ�� provides a generous and flexible financial support package, including the NSP,” commented Director of Undergraduate Recruitment, Jon Beard.

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has made 295 National Scholarship Programme awards to support students from low-income families starting at the university this year. Over 50 of these grants were made to students who had previously claimed Free School Meals.

By taking part in the NSP, we hope to provide additional reassurance to students from low-income families that taking up a place at Cambridge is affordable

Dr Patricia Fara

Cambridge ̽��ֱ��

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How to care for carers

amb206 — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0000

It is well established that most people would prefer to die at home rather than in hospital. ̽��ֱ��family members or friends who make this possible (carers) play a vital role in sharing care with the health care professionals involved. Just as the patient has complex and immediate needs, so does the carer. ̽��ֱ��carer provides the support needed to help someone close to them spend the last stage of their life in the familiar surroundings of their own home, within their own community.

Caring for people who are dying is stressful on multiple levels. Many carers are elderly or infirm and find themselves in situations for which they have had little preparation. Others have to juggle conflicting roles within families – for example as care-givers to relatives and as parents to young children – as well as fitting care around paid work. Pioneering research into the day-to-day experiences of a range of people who have recently provided this kind of support to family or friends has led to the development of an accessible but comprehensive tool for assessing the support needs of carers – and thus providing a point of reference for putting that support into place.

̽��ֱ��Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) has been developed by Dr Gail Ewing, a senior researcher at the Centre for Family Research, ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, in partnership with Professor Gunn Grande at the ̽��ֱ�� of Manchester. Both have long experience of palliative and end of life care research, particularly with carers.Their work was carried out in collaboration with the National Association for Hospice at Home.

̽��ֱ��CSNAT is based on findings from a study of 75 recently bereaved carers who had cared for a relative or friend at the end of life. Participants shared their experiences with researchers in interviews and focus groups which explored carers’ support needs, particularly in the last two to three months of the life of the person they were caring for. Carers were asked about support needs that were met and input from services that was perceived to be helpful, but also shortfalls in provision where needs had not been met. This enabled the researchers to identify key support domains (areas) for carers at the end of life.

One of the support domains is the matter of knowing who to contact about concerns. “We found that carers often had little knowledge of healthcare systems and who they should contact for help. What appeared to make a real difference was whether the carer had a main contact for support. This was not just a telephone number, but it was a person: someone who they could contact who knew their situation – who could be reached both in the daytime and out of hours. Carers did not necessarily make use of named contacts a great deal but reported reassurance from knowing that there was a person they could call if needed,” said Dr Ewing.

“Our study with bereaved carers showed us that the needs of carers fell into two groupings: support to enable them to care for their relative/friend, but also more direct support for themselves, arising from the impact of their caring role. We built the tool around that understanding.”

Seven of the 14 domains on the tool ask the carer about the support he or she needs in order to fulfil the role of carer to a dying relative or friend, such as ‘do you need more support with managing your relative’s symptoms, including giving medicines?’ ̽��ֱ��second set of domains asks the carer about the support they need for themselves, such as ‘do you need more support with dealing with your feelings and worries?’

̽��ֱ��CSNAT was designed as a screening tool to identify which of the 14 areas of support needs require further detailed assessment, thus enabling it to be short but comprehensive in approach. “ ̽��ֱ��intention is to use it to use it to open up a conversation between practitioners and carers to explore, from the carers’ perspective, what their support needs are and what it most important to them,” explained Dr Ewing.

In 2009-2010 the tool was validated when 225 adult carers were surveyed twice – a baseline survey was followed by a second survey four weeks later where carers completed the CSNAT along with standard measures of the impact of caregiving, preparedness to care and carer health.

Carers’ needs may change over time due to shifts in the situation and the burden of continuing, often escalating, practical and emotional demands. Study findings suggested that the assessment tool was relevant and covered all the main support domains; feedback indicated that that the CSNAT was quick and easy to use. It was also seen as giving carers a voice: one former carer remarked that she felt she “could be heard through this”.

̽��ֱ��study found that most carers wanted more support with knowing what to expect in the future and dealing with their feelings and worries. “In end-of-life care, carers often find themselves entering a world they are unfamiliar with – and find themselves coping with medications and equipment they know little about. They may need information about the drugs, or instruction about the equipment and devices they are handling,” said Dr Ewing.

“ ̽��ֱ��assessment tool allows them to voice their worries about aspects of the care they are providing. Just as importantly it offers a framework that recognises the important role they play and legitimises their own needs. ̽��ֱ��way in which professional support is offered is vital. Sometimes it can be something very simple: carers may just want to be included in aspects of the care of a loved one or even just to have acknowledgement of role they are playing.”

If you would like further information about the CSNAT, please contact Dr Gail Ewing ge200@cam.ac.uk.

Carers’ week (10-16 June) will focus on the 6.5 million people who are carers. Many are providing palliative care for a relative or friend at home. A new tool has been developed to identify carers’ needs during end-of-life care at home and enable them to work more smoothly with healthcare professionals.

In end-of-life care, carers often find themselves entering a world they are unfamiliar with – and find themselves coping with medications and equipment they know little about.

Dr Gail Ewing

National Association for Hospice at Home

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