The palliAGED website was launched in 2017 by the CareSearch team. Funded by the Department of Health the aim of palliAGED was to provide a new form of palliative care guidance for aged care – both residential aged care and home care. It was designed to update and replace the APRAC and COMPAC Guidelines (485kb pdf).
The demand for palliative care and support at the end of life is increasing. This is in part due to population ageing and the increasing prevalence of chronic, sometimes life-limiting illnesses such as dementia, cancer and advanced kidney disease. Related to this is the growing need for support among providers of palliative care and care at the end of life which has also prompted more research. In terms of interventions, research can provide us with an understanding of what does and doesn’t work for most people, including the most likely benefits and risks. It can also provide us with a better understanding of people’s needs and attitudes in a specific setting.
What's happening in 2020
The CareSearch/palliAGED team recognises the importance of keeping the palliAGED resources and information up to date. In 2020, three years after launching palliAGED we are embarking on a project to update each of the 37 topics within palliAGED. The palliAGED 2020 update project will take place across this year and will involve identification of high level evidence, followed by appraisal and synthesis to incorporate findings into the Evidence and Practice pages where appropriate. The process followed will adhere to the palliAGED Quality Processes including review of new content by external reviewers to ensure relevance and quality.
Why Update?
For 2019 alone the CareSearch PubMed filter for palliative care captures 1,495 strongest evidence research articles (systematic reviews or randomised controlled trials), and 8,346 articles when all study types are included. A similar volume of new research was published in each of 2017 and 2018, and the volume of research has steadily increased over the last decade.
Some of these published studies will strengthen what we already know while others might challenge our thinking or support a change in practice. Best practice requires us to keep up to date with any changes. Care tailored to the local context and based on the preferences and values of the person with palliative care needs, expert opinion and the best available evidence is best practice.
We will release updated topics throughout 2020/2021. If you have any suggestions or questions about this or other projects please contact us.
This page was updated 30 January 2020