Elizabeth Westhead

• MBBS
• What are the palliative care needs of older people with frailty? A qualitative systematic review

Death is now an event of later life, and an increasing number of older people are dying with frailty.  A good understanding of their end-of-life care needs is crucial, to provide appropriate services and support.

This project brought together existing research on the care needs of frail older people at the end-of-life. 13 studies were included. All used interviews and focus groups to understand the end-of-life experiences of people with frailty, their families and healthcare workers.

We found that people with frailty did not have a shared understanding of their frailty, or how close they were to the end-of-life. Many people had physical symptoms, such as pain, but these were less important to them, than their emotional needs. A focus on the present, and support to ‘live in the moment’ was wanted. This study will help end-of-life services develop better care for older people with frailty. 

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Professor Barbara Hanratty