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People Near Death Not Dying Where They Wish To, Says Care Expert : 2nd Nov 09
There is a serious mismatch between where people want to die and where they actually do die, according to a leading expert in end-of-life care. Tessa Ing, head of End of Life Care Strategy at the UK Department of Health, spoke at a workshop on the subject in Dublin last month that was part of the ongoing forum on end-of-life care that the Irish Hospice Foundation organised.
In England about 75 per cent of people, when asked, say they wish to die at home, but only 19 per cent do so, Miss Ing reported. More than 65 per cent die in acute hospitals, and about five per cent in hospices. More than 54 per cent of all complaints in acute hospitals concern care of the dying or bereaved, she stated.
The End of Life Care Strategy in the UK aims to ensure access to high-quality care for all people who are near the end of their lives, and increased choice for all adult patients in England concerning where they live and die, regardless of their condition.
A BBC survey in 2005 revealed that only one-third of people had discussed dying with anyone. “As a society, we in England do not talk about death and dying”, Miss Ing commented. “This makes care planning difficult for health services. To make change happen, you must raise the profile of death and dying”.
Rev Dr Michael Wright of the International Observatory on End of Life Care at Lancaster University told the workshop that palliative care isn’t available in many countries. Ireland was one of only 15 per cent of countries worldwide where palliative care was integrated into the national health service, he stated.
The forum has received more than 140 submissions from individuals and groups. Meetings took place in Waterford on October 27th and Tullamore on October 28th, with a national coalition on the issue to be set up next year. The Irish Times. October 22.
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