Improving the quality of end-of-life care in acute geriatric hospital wards in Flanders
Abstract project
Background
Over 50% of elderly people die in acute hospital settings, where the quality of end-of-life care is often suboptimum. To improve the quality of end-of-life care in acute geriatric hospital wards we developed the Care Programme for the Last Days of Life (CAREFuL)
Aim
We aim to implement the Care Programme for the Last Days of Life (CAREFuL) in one third of the acute geriatric wards in Flanders.
Methods
The CAREFuL programme involves: (1) the Implementation Guide, (2) the Care Guide for the Last Days of Life (Care Guide) and (3) supportive documentation. The implementation guide incorporates nine components that have to be performed and includes a detailed training package to help health care staff in educating and supporting their colleagues in using the Care Guide in a correct and compassionate way. The Care Guide itself can be seen as a document designed to guide the health care staff in making choices in caring for individual people who are dying. Supportive documentation such as information leaflets for family carers about the entering of the dying phase is developed to complement the Care Guide.
For more information, please visit endoflifecare.be/zorgprogramma.
