Liverpool Care Pathway

[ilovemarkb]

Obviously this no longer exists...... but just interested(as a student) in feedback from anyone who lost a loved one that was on this pathway. I am looking for both good and bad feedback. Thankyou

[Canary42]

Lost my Mum that way - a terrible process pushed very hard on distressed relatives by uncaring very young triage nurses.

[EcclesCake]

I've had two relatives go this route, the experiences were very different.

In one case the daughter wasn't fully informed of what was happening and never had it explained. This was largely due to there being a Consultant Dr who held a senior position at the local hospital and all matters of the patients care were addressed to him, which he chose not to promulgate further. Very upsetting for the daughter when the penny dropped and she realised what was actually happening to her parent.

Second occasion was much more positive and inclusive with full sharing of facts with immediate family. All questions answered and a fuller understanding made the situation much easier for all concerned.

[ilovemarkb]

thanks guys.... and I'm very sorry for your loss's x

[Prudie]

My mother passed on this when as a family we'd never heard of it. Was not truthfully explained and nothing will make me think of it as other than legal euthanasia (she was not terminally ill, she had been driving herself to go shopping not 10 days before she died).

[ilovemarkb]

sorry for your loss Prudie x

[woofgang]

I think that its a very great pity that this was mis-used to the point where it became something to be feared and reviled. the original intention was to give people the care that they wanted or needed to keep them comfortable in the end stages of their life. It was used to care for my mother at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital and also to support the care for my late husband who died at home. Both received the highest standards of care. The intention of the LCP was to standardise these high standards.
Like any piece of paper, its only as good as the people who are using it. so far as I am aware (and i saw it used when i was working in the NHS) deliberate withholding of any hydration or nutrition to hasten death was never part of the pathway. They might be stopped at the request of the patient or relatives, or if the method of administration was failing or distressing to the patient.

Btw I am not a nurse. I had no part in the designing or roll out of the LCP and hold no brief for it.

[Unsureme]

Same as Prudie and Canary,I later found out the Hospital,or Trust received money for each one they placed on it. Made me think!!

[mazie]

Same as Prudie, Canary and Unsureme.. I still can't talk about it and feel so guilty that I didn't push for more information :o(

[pixie374]

Woofgang is right. It still exists and always has done. Only the name changes.

[Prudie]

That's just how I feel mazie, I shudder at it and bury my thoughts.

[mazie]

I know Prudie...Awful isn't it...Big hug from me xxx

[Prudie]

And right back to you mazie xx

[Mamyalynne]

Not something I like to revisit either, when it was outlined to me I don't think I took much of it in . The shock that my Husband was terminal had already numbed me too much - I dare not think too hard about how or if it hastened his end or indeed if it was in any way more uncomfortable for him.


Any extra guilt would be too hard to bear.

Love to everyone else affected by this.

[Cloverjo]

When my mum was diagnosed as terminally ill, the doctor said she would be kept comfortable until her death. She was offered food, water and painkillers, but not forced to accept any of them.
No one mentioned the term LCP, but as Pixie says, maybe it was same thing under a different name. I have no complaints about her treatment during that time.

[ilovemarkb]

Thanks guys ! this makes an interesting read for me. Maybe we should all have an ACP (advanced care plan) in place. Then we can set the record straight regarding any care and treatment that we do or don't want. It seems planning for death is taboo subject. We need to start talking to our loved ones about what we do and don,t want in the event of our death. When I die I would much rather people dress in bright colours and celebrate my life. We all live and we all die. I believe everyone deserves a good death xx So although we cant undo the damage done by LCP we can make sure we are prepared for when our own time comes or that of a loved one!!

[woofgang]

I don’t think that LCP did the damage. I think the way that it was implemented and used was what did the damage. The people who devoted time to developing and writing it weren’t some unpleasant scheming group, they were caring hard working people who wanted to ensure excellent cafe for people who were at the end of their lives. Such a bloody waste of all their hard work.

[shoemad]

we were offered this when my lovely dad was dying eight years ago. He was in the advanced stages of dementia and had been dying for a long time. It was fully explained to us and we were grateful that he died peacefully and without pain. As a family we made sure that he was never alone even though he didn't know us and was mostly unconscious for the last few days of his life. The nursing staff were kind and caring. I would prefer to die as he did than be pumped up with drugs when there was no chance of recovery.

[woofgang]

sorry for the typo. not “cafe” “care"

[Prudie]

shoemad my understanding is it was developed specifically for that purpose, to ease people through without suffering when they are beyond recovery (although the LCP is actually pumping up with drugs) and for that I'm sure it was an excellent treatment. Where it has become besmirched is evidence of it being administered when not yet required, not properly explained to family and at worst an easy way to free up a bed.

[ParsleyDumpling]

Hi,

My Dad was put on LCP before his death at Arrowe Park in 2010. The staff explained everything and told us (myself and two younger sisters) how his breathing would change and that the need for food goes in the later stages of life, although we still wet his lips and dripped water into his mouth. We were with him constantly during his last three days of life and he was given pain relief.

The staff were wonderful (they even brought us tea and toast) and he was eventually moved to a room on the third floor which was much more private. Although my Dad was unconscious and on oxygen he pulled the mask off his face on a number of occasions, the last time he did this we (not the hospital staff) decided not to put it back on. He died within minutes opening his eyes once, which I always think was his way of saying goodbye to us.

I have nothing but praise for the hospital and staff, we were never pressurised into decisions and my Dad was treated with respect and dignity.
I fully sympathise with people who didn't have a good experience of LCP.
In our case it made my Dad's last days so much more bearable and helped me personally come to terms with his death knowing we were doing the best for him.

Jan