Hospice and Palliative Care: Concepts and Practice, Second Edition by Denice C. Sheehan, Robert P. Anderson, Judith A. Kitzes

Product Details

Synopsis

An overlook of the theoretical prespective and practical information about the growing field of hospice.

Annotation

British orientation/incl. hospice care settings/quality care in hospice/pain mgmt in the cancer patient/symptom mgmt/etc.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Becky Stepp, BBA, MEd, BS, M, LMSW (Seton Medical Center)
Description:The philosophy of end-of-life care has significantly advanced over the past 30 years., but it remains relatively isolated in specialized settings and there still remains a wide gap between how we actually die and how we wish our lives would end. This book is an essential contribution to the efforts of closing this gap. In the first edition, published five years ago, the authors focused on term definition (i.e., palliative care, family, interdisciplinary team, and hospice care) . This second edition provides an expanded and wider point of view to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of this work.
Purpose:One central goal for hospice and palliative care is improving the end-of-life care for patients and their families. This book focuses on that goal by integrating key concepts of care such as communication, symptom management, grief, spiritual care, the challenging issues of assisted suicide, and other ethical dilemmas. Although remarkable progress has begun, there is still a tremendous need to expand this philosophy across clinical settings and patient populations. This book expands on the previous with various contributors providing a diverse perspective from a variety of disciplines. From the historical overview to eligibility and reimbursement issues, this interdisciplinary approach provides a comprehensive view of this growing field of end-of-life care.
Audience:This book is an ideal resource for nursing students, social workers, chaplains, and end-of-life care professionals. According to the authors, this book will serve as a travel guide toend-of-life care, and needs to become part of the daily life of every healthcare professional. The various contributors are credible authorities, with vast experience in end-of-life care throughout the United States.
Features:The book is of significant value to any beginners in the end-of-life provision of care, and can be found of significant value to educators that undertake the teaching of hospice/palliative care in their curricula. It includes a historical overview of end-of-life programs, various patient care issues, legal and ethical concerns, symptom/pain management, bereavement and case studies. The book is well written and clearly describes and explains the various topics in easy to understand terminology. Additional information concerning debriefing/process groups could be a beneficial addition to the book.
Assessment:As the field of end-of-life care continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to have comprehensive and informational resource materials and texts to aid in this service provision. This book serves as a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge in end-of-life care.