Research Blogs

The most recent census showed that 12% of people residing in Ireland are non-Irish nationals (CSO, 2022), alongside significant numbers of refugees and applicants for international protection. This shift in demographics is evident in GP surgeries and primary care centres, hospitals and hospices, and now it makes its way into cancer wards and hospices. For Irish palliative care services, it is part of their everyday experience…

I was privileged to be part of the organising committee for the 14th Annual PCRN Symposium following an open invitation from AIIHPC to ECRF members to be involved in the committee…

What if I mess it up? Will people understand my accent? Are they sure they want me to do this?
Here is a glimpse into my mind when I found out I had been accepted for an oral presentation at the EAPC World Congress in Finland.

Meaning-centered psychotherapy is a group intervention designed to alleviate psychological distress among hospital outpatients with advanced cancer.The programme focuses on sustaining patients’ sense of meaning and purpose as they approach end-of-life….

My own journey as a Research Nurse began in 2021 when I was offered a part-time secondment into the role. Back then, my research experience was limited, but my enthusiasm for diving into the world of research was already strong. I was passionate about making changes and improving care for people in the community, and I knew that with the right evidence it may be easier to influence the change. But I also had innate desire to learn and curiosity to explore.

Have you ever found yourself becoming emotional at a certain song or piece of music? Maybe you have discussed which songs you would want played at your funeral, or considered which music really matters to you….

What are pet robots?
Pet therapy can have health and social benefits for people living with dementia. However, using live pets may be challenging. For instance, some care facilities may not allow animals…..

Person-centred care describes a holistic care philosophy that focuses on prioritising the care recipient’s views and wishes. In other words, the person comes before the disease. For caregivers of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, it can become increasingly challenging to know the individual’s preferences…

Why is it important for everyone to know about palliative care? Is it to improve access to services? Whilst many websites offering health care information encourage people to speak to their GP….

When a child is receiving palliative care, early conversations in a calm environment are recommended to identify family values, plan for future care, and make decisions. However, these conversations often start too late, or during a crisis.

The term fatal fetal anomaly is a condition that will likely lead to the death of the fetus within utero or within the neonatal period (28 days of life) despite active treatment. While this definition is generally accepted, there is no universally agreed definition of what constitutes a fatal fetal anomaly…

Do you want to develop your knowledge and skills to learn how to improve the quality of life of people receiving palliative care and experiencing constipation? If yes, our free eLearning course is for you.

Caregiving has traditionally been viewed as a female activity, which has resulted in caregiving research being mainly focussed on the experiences of female participants….

The majority of patients in ICU are over 65 years, have chronic illnesses and multi-morbidities (National Office of Clinical Audit, 2020). ICU survivors can have life-limiting illnesses, poor quality-of-life and have a high mortality…

Early specialist palliative care in cancer is associated with better patient outcomes. “Red flags” to identify people with specialist palliative care needs who are at risk of high symptom burden and poor quality of life could prompt a comprehensive assessment and early referral….

The ‘Family-Centred Cancer Care team at Ulster University have been leading a programme of work since 2007. The primary aim of our work is to promote positive coping for families impacted by parental cancer..

The HSE has outlined that one of the major challenges relating to adult palliative care is the growing demand for services due to our ageing population….