Palliative care
Practice of palliative care

Medications used in palliative care can be common medications but used for a different indication based on established practices with varying degrees of evidence. Examples include the use of antipsychotic medications, anticonvulsants, and morphine. Routes of administration may differ from acute or chronic care, as many people in palliative care lose the ability to swallow. A common alternative route of administration is subcutaneous, as it is less traumatic and less difficult to maintain than intravenous medications. Other routes of administration include sublingual, intramuscular and transdermal. Medications are often managed at home by family or nursing support.

Palliative care interventions in care homes may contribute to lower discomfort for residents with dementia and to improve family members' views of the quality of care. However, higher quality research is needed to support the benefits of these interventions for older people dying in these facilities.

High-certainty evidence supports the finding that implementation of home-based end-of-life care programs may increase the number of adults who will die at home and slightly improve patient satisfaction at a one-month follow-up. The impact of home-based end-of-life care on caregivers, healthcare staff, and health service costs are uncertain.
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