End of life care for people with alcohol and other drug problems: An exploratory study (Phase 1)

September 2016
Staff: 

Ann Roche, Roger Nicholas, Allan Trifonoff

Other Collaborators: 

Professor Sarah Galvani, Manchester Metropolitan University

Aquarius, UK

Phoenix Futures, UK

St Johns’ Hospice, UK

St Catherine’s Hospice, UK

Voices in the Community, UK

Project description: 

Problematic AOD use is linked to many forms of chronic and life threatening conditions. These include liver cirrhosis, carido-obstructive pulmonary disorder, various forms of cancer, heart disease and dementia. Given our ageing population, many of these conditions affect people in later years of life, placing increasing demands on end of life and palliative care services, families and friends.

Building on its ongoing program of work examining AOD use in ageing populations, NCETA has been invited to collaborate on an innovative international project with Professor Sarah Galvani, and other researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University. Other groups involved in the project include practice and community partners and independent research consultants.

The project aims to:

  • Improve and support service responses
  • Reduce inequalities for people with substance use problems, their families and carers, who are receiving or in need of end of life care
  • Develop, implement and evaluate new models of practice and care pathways for individuals, and their families, friends and carers.

The study is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom and will:

  • Investigate, through an international literature review and key informant interviews, existing models of practice
  • Chronicle the prevalence and frequency of AOD problems in palliative and end of life care through secondary analysis of existing datasets
  • Draw on the experiences of individuals, families and professionals living and working with these issues
  • Explore the attitudes and experiences of paid staff and volunteers offering services to people with AOD issues receiving end of life care and people receiving AOD services who also have chronic or terminal illness.