This research programme seeks to understand and determine the needs of older people with progressive illnesses and frailty, and to develop and evaluate new services to improve access to palliative care services and enhance benefit for patients and families. People are living longer and die increasingly with frailty and often with more than one condition. Many do not receive the type of care and support they need to live life well and die with dignity and comfort.
“Our aim is to develop and evaluate new models of delivering palliative care services to older people with non-malignant conditions living in the community, in particular at critical moments in their condition. “ Dr Catherine Evans, Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Care, Cicely Saunders Institute
When you lose your pride I think, well they say you’ve lost your dignity, and that’s how I think it is. It is pride. A feeling, an emotion
All living things have dignity, even that tree for instance has dignity, it’s a living example of life and as such has dignity…..With me I am just on my own in this room, but the living things out there were put in place by God, that is where I draw my dignity from now. I look out of that window every day and I believe that God has put those trees there to look after me, to watch over me. They are always there, never changing, they care for me.