Older people and research partnerships

Increasing consumer consultation is a priority for those involved in health and social care research and practice, with promoting greater public participation being widely accepted as 'a good thing' (Reason, 1994: 3). However, whilst such consultation may improve the quality of research and practice, there is a need to recognise the considerable investment of time and energy that is required for success (Baxter et al., 2001). Given the extra resources needed, it is important to understand how consultation and user involvement can work to benefit all parties. This paper describes our experiences of working together on a research project exploring people's involvement in decision-making processes when using care services in later life. When we started the project in March 2001 each of us could draw on a range of experiences that we hoped would make a valuable contribution. We have now worked together for over two years and this paper describes how our combined efforts have not only enhanced the overall quality of the research but also had personal benefits that we did not anticipate when we started ou

Planning for partnership Improving the health and social well-being of communities in Trent; a summary report of the Trent Development Centre (September 1997-March 1998)

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:GPE/4121 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Acute emergencies

This chapter explores some of the key factors that need to be considered for the assessment and management of children and young people with long‐term illness who have an acute emergency either as a result of their chronic illness or an unrelated health problem. It also explores the context of care in relation to the environment in which care is delivered and its impact on ongoing medical and nursing care. The chapter further explores the factors that may lead to acute emergencies in children and young people with long‐term illness and the relevant treatment and management requirements; a case study examining the care of a child with an oncology condition are used to exemplify these factors. In the 1940s, cytotoxic chemotherapy was introduced as part of standard treatment for childhood cancer. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is given by many different routes. The most common in childhood cancer are intravenous, oral, intrathecal and subcutaneous