End of Life Care Special Interest Group (SIG)

Delirium Hub: Delirium in specific settings and situations

This section of the BGS Delirium Hub focuses on managing delirium in specific settings and clinical situations.

Talking heads: Perspectives from the COVID-19 pandemic

Perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic and its affect on members' mental and emotional health, aired at the BGS Autumn Meeting 2020.

Feb

Silver Book II: Geriatric syndromes

This chapter of the Silver Book II covers the presentation of common geriatric conditions in an urgent care context.

May

2020

Clinical guide

End of Life Care in Frailty: Signposting and resources

This section of the BGS guidance on end of life care in older people collates relevant external resources and signposting links for easy reference

May

2020

Clinical guide

End of Life Care in Frailty: Introduction and Foreword

Introduction from Dr Eileen Burns, Consultant Physician and Past President of British Geriatrics Society, and foreword by Dr Sarah Russell, family carer.

Blogs

Nov

BGS gives evidence on the assisted dying bill

Sep

Assisted dying – where are we now and what happens next? (part four)

Jun

Assisted dying – where are we now and what happens next (part three)?

May

Dying Matters Awareness Week – Death becomes us

Apr

Assisted dying – where are we now and what happens next (part two)?

Feb

Age and Ageing publishes three commentaries on Assisted Dying

Publications

Documentation of DNR orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted more widespread and earlier decision-making regarding resuscitation status. Although case fatality rates were higher for older hospitalised patients with COVID-19, many older patients survived the illness. Advance care planning should be prioritised in all patients and should remain as part of good clinical practice despite the pandemic.

Changes in social, psychological and physical well-being in the last 5 years of life

Physical functioning, role functioning and depressive symptoms deteriorate over the last 5 years of life of older people with cancer. End-of-life care needs to put their social and psychological well-being at the centre, alongside physical needs.

Preferred life expectancy and the association with hypothetical adverse life scenarios

The desire to live into advanced ages is significantly reduced by hypothetical adverse life scenarios, with the strongest effect caused by dementia and chronic pain.

The ‘Wish to Die’ in later life: prevalence, longitudinal course and mortality.

WTD amongst community-dwelling older people is frequently transient and is strongly linked with the course of depressive symptoms and loneliness. An enhanced focus on improving access to mental health care and addressing social isolation in older people should therefore be a public health priority, particularly in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jan

The geriatrician's role in end-of-life care

Healthcare aims to help older people to live well, but ultimately must also support them to die well. Most people die in old age, but predicting death in both short- and long-term is impossible for many, although not all, older people.

Age and Ageing articles

The ‘Wish to Die’ in later life: prevalence, longitudinal course and mortality.

WTD amongst community-dwelling older people is frequently transient and is strongly linked with the course of depressive symptoms and loneliness.

Preferred life expectancy and the association with hypothetical adverse life scenarios

The desire to live into advanced ages is significantly reduced by hypothetical adverse life scenarios, with the strongest effect caused by dementia and chronic pain.

Changes in social, psychological and physical well-being in the last 5 years of life

Physical functioning, role functioning and depressive symptoms deteriorate over the last 5 years of life of older people with cancer.