William has now developed significant pain from his liver metastases and his GP has referred him to a specialist palliative care service. The specialist team keeps in close contact with the GP and his community nurse.
William and his wife are talking to the community nurse and discussing his current needs. Having assessed how he’s managing physically; the community nurse recognises that William is becoming less mobile and is increasingly fatigued.
The community nurse begins to explore with William and his wife future options for care as his illness progresses and he becomes more physically frail.
Thinking Points
- What factors influence when specialist palliative care would be helpful for people such as William and Gladys?
- What decisions do William and Gladys need to make as William’s illness progresses?