Supporting General Practitioners in Northern Ireland in the care of dementia patients as they near the end of life
Dr Gillian Carter (QUB) The general practitioner (GP) is in a pivotal position to initiate and adapt end of life care for their patients living with dementia. A postal survey was conducted to gauge GPs’ perceptions of the provision of good quality palliative care in dementia in Northern Ireland. The survey was also conducted in the Netherlands, where specialist elderly care physicians oversee palliative care in dementia. Barriers to palliative care in dementia were perceived to be a dementia knowledge deficit for healthcare staff and the public; a resource shortfall within the GP practice and community; poor team coordination alongside
Adults with Intellectual Disabilities (ID): Transitioning into Older Years
Dr Lisa Hanna-Trainor and Dr Laurence Taggart (Ulster) People with intellectual disabilities are living longer and many are living with ageing family carers: this presents challenges surrounding how services respond to the needs of both cohorts. This is a fundamental issue for policy makers, commissioners and Trusts in organising how services are planned, funded and delivered in the future. Ageing in people with intellectual disabilities commences earlier at 50 years and 40 years for those with Down Syndrome; and as they age they will develop more chronic health conditions. According to the NI Learning Disability Service Framework (2015) all individuals