Ninety-three percent of elderly adults (over 65) living with malnutrition are residing in the community (Age UK, 2017), and at least one in 10 visits to a general practitioner are by adults that are experiencing malnutrition (British Association of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition [BAPEN], 2015). General practice nurses (GPNs) will be exposed to patients with acute conditions such as a chest infection or a pressure ulcer, or chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD), chronic kidney disease and dementia, which increase their risk of malnutrition. Oral nutritional supplementation is one of the treatments available to treat malnutrition. This article discusses the identification of malnutrition, treatment and appropriate prescribing, through initiation, monitoring and cessation of oral nutritional supplementation.
Pre-travel vaccine recommendations require a full individualised risk assessment. The traveller should then be informed about the specificity of the vaccines they should consider and told about their benefits and limitations. They should also be made aware of issues around certificate requirements and if these will apply to them. A well-informed traveller will understand that, although important, vaccines do not remove the need for precautions with food, water, insect bites and activities that increase risk. Routine immunisations and those recommended for special risk groups should not be neglected in favour of more rare and exotic vaccines. This article focuses on indications for travel vaccines only.
The impact skin disease has on the psychological wellbeing, social functioning and everyday activities of patients and their families and carers is often trivialised and given low priority. The quality of life of people with skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic eczema and acne can be significantly impaired, and such impairment can be greater at times than for life-threatening conditions such as cancers (Schofield et al, 2009). Living with a family member with a skin condition impacts on many aspects of life, with issues such as leisure time (26%), social life (48%) and holidays (46%) highlighted as adversely affecting family life (Basra and Findlay, 2007). This paper provides practical advice and guidance that general practice nurses (GPNs) can give parents when planning leisure and holiday time with their children.
Primarily due to better treatment options, there are now over two and a half million people living with cancer in the United Kingdom and it is predicted that in the next fourteen years this number will increase to four million. This means that the numbers of people living with cancer in the UK has increased by approximately half a million in the last five years (Maddams et al, 2012). When all cancers are grouped together, someone diagnosed with cancer today has double the chance of being alive in ten years time compared to someone diagnosed with cancer during the 1970s (Quaresma et al, 2014). This paper will now take three of the four most common cancers in the UK and look at them individually, i.e. breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.
There are currently over 800,000 people in the UK living with dementia, including 40,000 younger people. By 2021, the total number of people in the UK living with dementia will exceed one million. Only one-third of people with dementia are living in care homes, with the remaining two-thirds living in their own homes and communities (Alzheimer’s Society, 2017a). A recent report by the Alzheimer’s Society (Alzheimer’s Society, 2017b) found that 83% of respondents (people with dementia or their carers) said that enabling the person with dementia to stay at home was critical, and 59% said that being an active part of the community was important to the person with dementia.
Sometimes it is just so busy in day-to-day practice, that it is hard to find time to reflect or discuss what you really think about a range of issues — perhaps you are inhibited by your colleagues’ knowledge and experience, find speaking out difficult, or are just not confident in your knowledge base.
However, when it comes to caring for patients with respiratory disorders, being able to openly discuss a patient’s treatment pathway with others, as well as seeking out new knowledge and skills, might make all the difference to the level of care you deliver.
The first article in this two-part series on skin cancer highlighted the importance of educating the general public about the causes of skin cancer, as well as outlining preventative measures to reduce its incidence and help them respond appropriately to the initial signs (Alexander, 2016). This second article focuses on individuals who are at higher risk of developing skin cancer and looks at how education can help them to make informed choices about their exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reduce their chances of developing skin cancer.
The aim of this two-part article is to highlight an area of cancer which holds promise in the form of overall reduction in incidence and mortality rates dependent on a few factors. These factors include education of the general public about the causes of skin cancer and preventative measures to reduce skin cancer, identification of high risk groups, and finally how to respond appropriately to the first signs of skin cancer. This first part identifies known causes and highlights signs and symptoms of skin cancer and why early detection and treatment is essential for improving overall survival outcomes. The second part in the series will focus on individuals within the population who are at higher risk of developing skin cancer and look at how education can enable people to make informed choices about their exposure
to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reduce their chances of developing skin cancer.
Celebrating 30 years of improving lives
Welcome to this issue of GPN. We are delighted to share the latest news in the world of Education for Health, especially at the start of this very special year — we are celebrating our 30th anniversary!
This is an important milestone in our charity’s history and one we are looking forward to celebrating in 2017. During the year we will thank those who have contributed to our success, reflect on our achievements and make ambitious plans for the future. We plan to mark our anniversary with a number of activities in May and June.
Success!