Palliative care in South Australian nursing homes

A survey of directors of nursing and registered nurses working in 151 South Australian nursing homes was conducted to identify the proportion of residents who received palliative care and the nursing implications of providing this care. The 71 (47%) responding directors of nursing reported that their homes had provided and/or were providing palliative care and that, at the time of the survey, approximately 10% of the residents were receiving palliative care. The registered nurses documented a range of specialized and time-consuming nursing procedures and care that were required by 89 recipients of palliative care. These residents were each receiving approximately 42 hours of nursing and personal care per week, but none were assessed as meeting the criteria for their nursing home to receive the maximum Resident Classification Instrument funding for 27 hours of nursing and personal care per week.