Delivering a gold standard of care at the end of life

Abstract

Expectant mothers for many years have been asked to complete a birth plan detailing their wishes regarding where and how they would like to deliver their baby. But until now we have failed to listen to the preferences of those at the end of their life. Consequently, 58 per cent of the 500,000 people who die every year do so in hospital, when, with a more coordinated approach, many could end their lives at home or in the care home in which they live. In 2008, the Government published its End of Life Care Strategy. Training care workers to deliver the best possible service to the dying was one of the strategy's key priorities. The Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes (GSFCH) is a coordinated programme to improve the quality of care and the communication between homes and health professionals, and to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. Already widely used in primary care, GSFCH has now been implemented in more than 600 homes across the UK and research shows it is achieving its targets. This paper outlines how GSFCH works and the benefits it provides for patients, their relatives, staff and home managers and owners.