Glossary

Terminology that is used throughout the report

• Advance care plan
  Enables individuals to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, to discuss these goals and preferences with family and health-care providers, and to record and review these preferences if appropriate. This might include decisions about resuscitation, life-sustaining treatments, and preferred place of care.
• Anchor organisations
  Large, typically non-profit organisations that have a significant presence and stake in their local area, including institutions such as hospitals, local councils and universities. Kirklees also has 'Community Anchor' organisations, who connect and unite other community organisations together.
• BAME communities
  Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups
• Bereavement
  The experience of losing someone important to us. It is characterised by grief - the process and range of emotions we go through when we experience a loss.
• Bias
  Supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an unfair way, by allowing personal opinions to influence your judgement. Unconscious (or unintentional) bias means the person with the bias is not aware of it.
• Chronic illness
  A long-term health condition that cannot be cured but may be treated and managed.
• CGL
  Change, Grow, Live: Kirklees commissioned drug and alcohol service.
• COPD
  Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
• Cultural competency
  The ability to work effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds.
• Degenerative disease
  One in which the body, or a part of the body, gradually stops working.
• Doula
  A non-medical professional who provides guidance for the service of others and who supports another person through a significant health-related experience. A 'death doula' is a companion to support people through the dying process, emotionally, spiritually and practically.
• End-of-life care
  Refers specifically to care provided in the last phase of life. This is often defined as approximately the last year, but end-of-life care can also sometimes be used to refer to the last weeks or even days of life and, for carers, can include care into bereavement.
• Equality
  Everyone is given the same resources, or opportunities, regardless of their individual need.
• Equity
  Everyone is given the resources or opportunities they need to achieve the same outcome, taking into account their different circumstances and needs.
• Ethnicity
  Refers to shared cultural expression among a group of people, such as traditions, customs and language. The word 'ethnicity' is often used interchangeably with 'race', but they are not the same.
• 'Expected' death
  When death was anticipated in the near future, due to a pre-existing health condition. Conversely, when death occurs suddenly and earlier than anticipated, it would be considered an unexpected death.
• Heteronormative approaches/heteronormativity
  Relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation, and assumes there are only two distinct, opposite genders.
• Holistic
  Dealing with or treating the whole of something or someone, and not just a part. In the context of health, this means considering all factors that may impact on a person's health, not just treating the disease.
• Hospice care
  A style of care that aims to improve the lives of people who have an incurable illness by meeting their medical, emotional, social and spiritual needs. Hospices provide care at home, in care homes, as in-patients or as day patients, and are free and accessible through referral from health professionals.
• Inequity
  Injustice or unfairness, resulting from favouritism or bias. Inequity refers to avoidable differences arising from poor governance, corruption or cultural exclusion.
• Inequality
  The difference in social status, wealth, or opportunity between people or groups; an unequal outcome or distribution of resources. Health inequalities are differences in health across the population, and between different groups in society, that are systematic, unfair and avoidable, and are caused by the conditions in which we are born, live, work and grow.
• Kirkwood
  The Kirkwood provides hospice care in Kirklees.
• LGBTQ+
  Acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer, with the '+' sign recognising the limitless other sexual orientations and gender identities, not including heterosexual or cisgender (person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds to his or her sex at birth).
• Life-limiting illness/condition
  An incurable condition that will shorten a person's life, though they may continue to live active lives for many years.
• Non-malignant health conditions
  Health conditions that are not related to cancer.
• Outreach service/staff
  Bringing services or information to people where they live or spend time.
• Palliative care
  An approach that improves the quality of life of patients (adults and children) and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illness. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual. Addressing suffering involves taking care of issues beyond physical symptoms. Palliative care uses a team approach to support patients and their caregivers. This includes addressing practical needs and providing bereavement counselling. It offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death. Palliative care can be provided in various settings including hospice, hospital and home.
• Person-centred approach
  Putting the person at the centre of decisions which relate to their life, treating everyone as an individual with their own needs, values, and preferences.
• Poverty
  Lacking the money or material possessions to live securely; not having enough money for essentials like food or heating.
• Primary care
  Within the NHS, this includes general practice (GPs), community pharmacy, dental, and optometry (eye health) services.
• Race
  A social construct used to categorise groups of people, usually based on perceived physical characteristics or shared ancestry. Race is a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010, where the term encompasses colour, ethnic or national origin, or nationality.
• Referral pathway
  The process by which people are connected to organisations or departments, to gain access to services or treatment.
• Secondary care
  Within the NHS, this includes planned or elective care (usually in a hospital), urgent and emergency care (including 999 and 111 services, ambulance services, hospital emergency departments, and out-of-hours GP services), and mental health care.
• Social determinants of health
  Non-medical factors that influence health outcomes, including the broad social and economic circumstances experienced through the life course.
• Terminal illness
  An illness or condition that cannot be cured and is likely to lead to death. It is usually used to describe a life-limiting illness that is thought to have progressed to the final or terminal stage (typically within the last 12 months of life).
• Trauma informed practice
  An approach to health and care interventions that recognises the impact of trauma on individuals and communities. It aims to create safe, trustworthy and empowering services that prevent re-traumatisation and promote wellbeing.