Deaths occurring secondary to the end of life conditions in the UK are alarming. The Office for National Statistics [ONS] (2011) says that in 2010, about 455,000 adults died in England. Two-thirds of them were people 75 years of age or more. The number of deaths in the UK is expected to increase by about 17% between 2015 and 2030 (Gomes & Higginson 2008). From the statistics, it’s clear that many elderly people are affected by different end-of-life events and conditions. As a result, there are several health and social care institutions offering support and care to such individuals and their social networks. This essay will address the recommendations for improving the support available in these institutions in relation to the current case study and my personal experience in healthcare.
Children have a lot of stress when they see their parents suffering from end of life diseases (Vanaelst et al. 2012). In the case study, George, Mrs. Garry’s child went through a stressful and challenging time. Some of the causes of stress were secondary to the fact that his mother was suffering from a terminal illness and wasn’t going to live for long, yet he was newly married. He needed to spend some time with his new family, but he rather spent it with his sick and dying mother. In my personal experience, one of the relatives revealed to be stressed when her father was suffering from end-stage renal disease. It’s recommended that such children and relatives should receive care to ‘treat’ the stress. Organizations that provide care and support should ensure that the relatives are treated just like the patients. They should have their needs addressed.
Similarly, these organizations should promote safe and effective care. They should ensure that staff is empowered with skills to care for their clients. Such organizations should enhance and facilitate staff training and continuous education. Personally, I have seen many health and social care providers going for seminars to learn about different aspects of care. That enhances the quality of care and support given to clients during times of suffering and bereavement. Experience and continuous education have been revealed to be some of the ways through which care providers can improve the quality of care (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety [DHSSPS] 2009).
In addition, they should facilitate the formation and existence of support groups. Such groups are helpful for the clients’ relatives and friends. The groups comprise of people who have almost similar problems such as the end of life conditions and/or relatives of the sick ones (DHSSPS 2009). In this case, the group was helpful because it helped George tackle the condition and go through the bereavement period well. However, organizations should go ahead to enhance the services and support given through the groups by teaching the members on various aspects of care and bereavement. Such a thing could be missing in George’s case, which may explain why he ended up gaining little from the group.
Finally, these organizations should employ the most appropriate professionals with the right skills in order to offer quality care. That will ensure quality delivery of care. According to the Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (2014, p. 24), care providers with the right skills offer quality care. All these are very instrumental in health and social care organizations for individuals with the end of life events and their social networks.
References
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety [DHSSPS] 2009, Ireland Health and Social Care Services Strategy for Bereavement Care, DHSSPS, Belfast.
Gomes, B & Higginson, IJ 2008, ‘Where people die (1974-2030): Past trends, future projections and implications for care’, Palliative Medicine, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 33-41.
Leadership Alliance for the Care of Dying People (LACDP) 2014, Improving people’s experience of care in the last few days and hours of life, LACDP, London.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2011, Death registrations in England and Wales, selected data tables 2010, ONS, London.
Vanaelst, B et al. 2012, ‘Prevalence of negative life events and chronic adversities in European pre- and primary-school children: results from the IDEFICS study’, Archives of Public Health, vol. 70, no. 1, pp. 26.