Palliative enheter i de kommunale helse- og omsorgstjenestene – en kartleggingsstudie

Method: Descriptive mapping study using a questionnaire for managers in 49 municipal palliative care units in the municipal health and care services that are registered in the national register of palliative care services. Results: The study received responses from 47 of the 49 municipalities that have registered a palliative care unit. Only one tenth of Norwegian municipalities have a palliative care unit with a minimum of four beds. The units are locatedinhealthcarecentres,inresidentialcarehomesandinnursing homes.Short-termstaysfordying patientsisthe most commonly used admission criterion. The staffing norm for nurses and nurse assistants as well as for physicians is only met to varying degrees. The majority have a physiotherapist and one quarter have a chaplain. No units have a social worker who participates in interdisciplinary teamwork. Conclusion: Localization, organization, tasks, and competence in palliative care units in the Municipal health and care services deviate from the recommendations in the national professional guideline Palliation in Cancer Care – Action Program . Municipal palliative care units are not an equal service throughout the country.