Research context

Several factors, some long-term and others the result of more recent changes, have given rise to the need for this research to be carried out. These include:

Changing demographics
The rising incidence of chronic illness
Co-morbidity, disability and extreme general frailty
Challenges of living towards end of life
Awareness of inappropriate care that is out of step with needs, wishes and preferences
Increased interest in ‘dignity’ in practice
Calls for improvements in palliative care.

The research is set in the context of UK government policies:

to shift emphasis from secondary to primary and community care in order to make cost savings
to increase the proportion of deaths at home because that is regarded as the ‘ideal’ environment .

This is a cross-disciplinary research project associated with gerontology, sociology, medicine, palliative care and social policy.