Resources

Identifying when a person with dementia is nearing the end of their life can be challenging. Conversations about future care and planning for end of life in the form of advance care planning should take place as soon as possible after the diagnosis of dementia to enable the person to have the cognitive ability to express their wishes and preferences. To do so in an informed way requires professionals to discuss prognosis and what symptoms they may experience as their condition progresses and plan accordingly. When such early discussions have not taken place there are resources available that can be used to inform family carers of these symptoms and also processes to hold personalised meetings to discuss decisions for care. This article uses a case example to present a family care consultation, informed by the ‘Comfort Care Booklet’ in advanced dementia.

Patients with cancer face widespread myths about ‘anti-cancer’ diets, while being at high risk of malnutrition and skeletal muscle loss, issues that affect survival, treatment tolerance and quality of life. This article reviews what is known about nutrition in the context of cancer, highlights evidence-based dietary strategies, and offers practical guidance to help community nurses confidently support patients across the cancer trajectory.

Community nurses are uniquely positioned to witness the social realities that shape health, including poverty, homelessness, insecure housing, trauma, discrimination and exclusion. Working within people’s homes and communities provides insight into the experiences of populations facing severe and multiple disadvantage, including people experiencing homelessness, people seeking refuge, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, people who use drugs, and those with lived experience of the criminal justice system. While healthcare has traditionally focused on inclusion, there is growing recognition that equity requires more than inviting people into existing systems; it requires questioning whether those systems were designed to meet everyone’s needs in the first place.This article explores the relationship between language, health equity and community nursing practice and examines how commonly used healthcare terminology can unintentionally reinforce stigma, individualise responsibility and obscure the wider social determinants of health.

Here, Ellie Lindsay OBE, founder and lifetime president of the Lindsay Leg Club Foundation, looks at how innovations in technology and an increased focus on patient-centred care positively influenced her experience of undergoing hip replacement surgery.

Modern healthcare requires an integrated approach, bringing together diverse disciplines to meet the physical and non-physical needs of individuals. In orthopaedic care, particularly hip replacement, technological innovation has dramatically improved patient outcomes, while person-centred care ensures that these outcomes are meaningful for everyone. The hip replacement model, from which I have recently benefitted, offers valuable lessons for us all.

This issue's 'Community Matters' piece explores a subject that is familiar to us all: antimicrobial stewardship in wound care. Wound management is an integral part of our role, requiring us to use knowledge and skills to make decisions that deliver the highest quality care for our patients. Assessing wounds for infection can be challenging, and when combined with the principles of antimicrobial stewardship the challenges increase. This article discusses the practical issues and guidance surrounding antimicrobial stewardship and gives a valuable update to support your practice.

As a community nurse, antimicrobial stewardship is not an abstract principle, it is a daily balancing act between individual patient needs and wider public health. In wound care, we are often working in uncontrolled environments, relying heavily on individual clinical judgement to distinguish between colonisation and infection. This uncertainty can make prescribing decisions challenging, particularly when signs of infection are quite subtle or evolve quickly.

This year marks a significant milestone for Drinkaware: 20 years of working to reduce alcohol harm across the UK. At the same time, we are looking ahead with renewed focus, having launched our 2026–2030 strategy with an ambitious plan to accelerate progress through prevention, behaviour change and partnerships.

The government's response to the growth of corridor care in our hospitals has focused on discharge, patient flow, and the need for trusts to make better use of their data (GOV.UK, 2026).

ERIC, The Children's Bowel and Bladder Charity, is delighted to share a preview of what healthcare professionals can expect at this year's conference, sponsored by Clinisupplies, which is happening on 12 October 2026, with the theme: 'Together for 35 years: leading change in paediatric bowel and bladder health'.

A degenerative neurological condition, Parkinson's has over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety. And it's on the rise. Today, someone in the UK is diagnosed with the condition every 20 minutes. And the number of people living with Parkinson's worldwide is predicted to double to 25 million by 2050 (Su et al, 2025).