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Background: Pain is an important issue in end of life care. Although musculoskeletal pain is common in older adults, it is rarely associated with the cause of death and may be overlooked as death approaches. Hence a major target for improving quality of life may be being missed. Methods: The aim of this study was to systematically search and critically review the literature on musculoskeletal pain at the end of life. Amed, Cinahl, Internurse, Medline, Psych Info, Web of Knowledge and Cochrane review databases were searched for relevant research up to September 2012. The search strategy combined key words expanding the terms 'palliative' for population, 'musculoskeletal' for exposure, and 'pain' for outcome. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Results: Five relevant papers and one letter to the editor were found, including case studies and epidemiological research. Current evidence suggests musculoskeletal pain is common in older adults at the end of life and that it can have a substantial impact on individual experience. No information about community based treatment of musculoskeletal pain at the end of life was found. Conclusion: Priorities for future research include high quality epidemiological studies to establish the prevalence, natural history, impact, assessment, patient priorities and outcomes associated with musculoskeletal pain in the end of life period, and intervention research that provides an evidence base for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the surgical and pharmaceutical treatments that are available for older people who are near the ends of their lives and are suffering from pain caused by arthritis. A discussion of the moral and ethical issues which are raised when deciding whether to treat arthritis in terminally ill patients is presented. The end of life care strategy, which is a tool which can be used by medical professionals when considering how to support people with advanced disease, is discussed.

Care of the family is integral to palliative care, but little attention has been paid to the way nurses, or other healthcare professionals, are responding to the needs of families who are concerned about whether their family history of cancer is associated with an inherited genetic predisposition. This paper discusses how palliative care nurses perceive the care needs of patients with a family history of cancer. Data were collected through recorded, semi-structured interviews with 10 nurses who had worked in specialist palliative care. The findings show that there are cogent arguments and concerns about raising the issue of an inherited genetic predisposition at the end of life (especially when the patient is close to death and there is a lack of knowledge about genetics). Nevertheless, exemplar cases are used to illustrate the reasons why it is important that nurses working in specialist palliative care settings are aware of the needs of this patient group. The paper highlights that nurses not only need an appropriate knowledge base but also an insight of what can be achieved when supporting patients with a family history of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing scientific understanding and increasing public awareness of the influence of genetics on the development of cancer. This article, which is based on a review of the literature, focuses on how the awareness of genetic predisposition to cancer is affecting patients and their families. It highlights the way that risk assessment for predisposition to cancer can conflict with traditional models of informed consent and can cause concern for families. It suggests that there is need for informed discussion within palliative care about how best to support families with concerns about a family history of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To understand why healthcare professionals working in palliative care felt that pilgrimage to Lourdes could be a beneficial activity for the terminally ill. Design A qualitative study using a phenomenological framework. Methods Nine semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of hospice staff. Results The reasons given for accompanying the terminally ill to Lourdes reflected the general aims of palliative care. They included improving the quality of life through the provision of a holiday, maintaining patient choice and autonomy and enabling inner-transformations. The communitas, or altered relationships, formed during the pilgrimage were also seen as beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]