[How to support the death at home].

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Palliative Care
• Oncology

Context:

• Home care services are crucial for end-of-life support.
• Understanding causes of death at home is vital for service improvement.
• Patient preference for dying at home is a growing consideration.

Purpose:

• To examine causes of death among home care patients.
• To evaluate the impact of enhanced 24-hour home care on place of death.
• To improve home care services for supporting death at home.

Summary:

• A study involving 43 home care patients analyzed deaths across three groups: at home, in hospital, and confirmed dead on arrival via ambulance.
• Causes of death at home included cancer and old age, while hospital deaths involved pneumonia and other acute/chronic diseases.
• Following the implementation of 24-hour home care support, home deaths rose from 1 to 14, and emergency ambulance transfers decreased from 5 to 1.

Impact:

• 24-hour home medical care effectively supports patients with chronic conditions, such as cancer and aging, to die at home.
• The study highlights the positive impact of accessible, continuous home care on patient outcomes and healthcare resource utilization.
• Findings suggest that improved home care infrastructure can facilitate a preferred dying trajectory, reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.