A Practical Guide To Palliative Care

Designed for easy use at the bedside, this manual contains the practical information health care professionals need to provide optimal end-of-life care. The book presents a multidimensional, holistic approach to assessment and management of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the patient and family. Topics covered include cultural diversity in end-of-life care; communicating with patients and families; predicting life expectancy; terminal care; non-pain symptom management; pain control; palliative interventions; pediatric palliative care; record keeping; and ethics. The succinct, user-friendly presentation features bullet points and numerous quick-reference tables. Each chapter includes an "In a Nutshell" summary of key points.

This book encourages health professionals to reconceptualise their practice in the light of the fact that their patients are deteriorating and dying, supporting them in their dichotomous role which involves affirming that person's life whilst acknowledging that that life is ending. Professionals are encouraged to think laterally, to be creative in their use of their core skills, and to use their life skills and experience to change the focus of their interventions. By making these changes, those involved with caring for the dying will be able to address issues related to burnout and feeling de-skilled. The authors share their considerable experience with the reader - what works for both patient and carer/professional when working in this field. By providing workable solutions, they empower those in disempowering situations, such as when working with terminally ill children and adults. The book is truly holistic and client-centred in its approach, upholding the philosophy of palliative care. Aimed at all who interact with children and adults who have a life-limiting condition or who are dying Offers practical examples of approaches to dilemmas and emotional issues commonly face by those working in palliative care Encourages professionals to think laterally, to be creative in their use of core skills, and to use their life skills and experience to change the focus of their interventions Moves the emphasis away from the medical model to the emotional and spiritual influences on quality of life Offers clear, workable guidelines and demonstrates practical solutions, based on proven theory and experience, to problems encountered on a day-to-day basis by patients and those coming into contact with them

This book aims to be a guide for those working in health or social care and caring for people at the end of their lives. This includes people in roles such as healthcare assistant, hospice worker, volunteer, nurse or other carers. Written by experts with experience in delivering high quality end of life care, this book is full of real life examples, reflection exercises and case studies. It also includes insights into what can help make a good death, and how to help support families at the end of life. The easy to read chapters emphasise treating people who are dying with dignity using a person centred approach. The book supports the delivery of quality care by recognising physical and non-physical symptoms, and thinking about various emotional and physical needs people might have. It is also important that care givers look after themselves and advice is given on how best to do this. An useful guide for anyone looking for guidance or support in this area, and suitable for those working in the community, care homes, hospices, hospitals or other settings where people are cared for.

This is the only handbook for hospice and palliative care professionals looking to enhance their care delivery or their programs with LGBTQ-inclusive care. Anchored in the evidence, extensively referenced, and written in clear, easy-to-understand language, LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care provides clear, actionable strategies for hospice and palliative physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, and chaplains.

Education of healthcare professionals is the cornerstone of specialist palliative services. This book is a practical toolbox of teaching techniques. Accessible, practical and easy to use it will encourage busy clinicians to teach by increasing their confidence in their training abilities. It provides a resource of various tools and describes how to approach teaching in a team, planning, methods and evaluation. Each chapter presents a menu of tried and tested techniques and closes with examples of lesson plans. The multidisciplinary experiences of the contributors are reflected in the book and healthcare professionals working in palliative care, hospitals, hospices or the community will find it to be essential reading.

The most thorough text available on providing patients and families with quality end-of-life care "The study/learning questions at the end of each chapter make this book an excellent resource for both faculty who wish to test knowledge, and individual learners who wish to assess their own learning....The book is well written and easy to read. 3 Stars."--Doody's Review Service End of Life Care: A Practical Guide offers solution-oriented coverage of the real-world issues and challenges that arise daily for clinicians caring for those with life-limiting illnesses and conditions. End of Life Care: A Practical Guide includes specific clinical guidance for pain management and other common end of life symptoms. The second edition has been made even more essential with the addition of chapter-ending Q&A for self assessment and board review, new coverage of multicultural medicine, an increased number of algorithms to assist decision making on complicated clinical, legal, and ethical issues. Six sections walk you through the complexities of caring for patients who are nearing the end of life: Preparing Patients for End of Life Management of Symptoms Diagnostic and Invasive Interventions Ethical Dilemmas Special Populations Diversity No other text better assists physicians and other clinicians in providing patients near the end of life with support, guidance, and hope in the face of “hopelessness” than End of Life Care: A Practical Guide.

Good counselling skills are often not taught to the professionals who need them most. Compassionate and tactful communication skills can make the difference between an awkward encounter with a dying patient, and an engaging, empathic bond between two people. Louis Heyse-Moore draws on his wealth of experience as a trained counsellor and palliative medicine specialist. Covering difficult subjects such as breaking the news of terminal illness to a patient, euthanasia and the effect of working with patients on carers, Speaking of Dying is a practical guide to using counselling skills for all clinical disciplines working in palliative care, whether in a hospice, hospital or at home. Complete with a clear explanation of both counselling and medical terminology, this hands-on guide will be an invaluable companion to anyone working in palliative care.