Living with Uncertainty gives a broad perspective on the complexities and challenges of the practice of end-of-life care, as well as the perceived benefits and limitations of medical intervention. Drawn from research and clinical and pastoral experience, the book examines the feelings associated with the end of life, highlighting the demands that people are faced with and their consequences. It moves into the difficult area of people who feel defeated by their illness and can or want to live no longer, as well as the family, caregivers and professionals who surround them. These perspectives have been built upon around a hundred narratives of lived experience, combined with the wider clinical and practical range of voices. A topical post-script Lessons from Covid-19 captures the choices and challenges on a personal, professional and systemic level which the pandemic acutely revealed with a multiplicity of examples. This will be essential reading for students and professionals in palliative and end-of-life care. Families and friends will also benefit from this book as they try to come to terms with the delicate but universal issues of death and dying.

This book provides healthcare professionals with a practice theory for the care and management of patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. It explores what patients experience and how healthcare professionals can assist them in dealing with their uncertainty and fear as well as planning for the future. Unique to the book is its explication of the emerging theory, 'The Omnipresence of Cancer', which is set in the context of a discussion of earlier theories also concerned with cancer care. Chapters demonstrate how 'The Omnipresence of Cancer' has been developed, validated through research and being further tested in relation to cancer care. In particular, a chapter on philosophical reflections using theory to produce knowledge for practice is included. Each chapter provides essential background, a synthesis of the current state of knowledge, and practice examples associated with cancer care. The combination of theoretical reflection and practice examples is designed to promote comprehension and guidance on implementation of the theory, as well as recommendations for practice. This book will be of significant interest to healthcare students and professionals working in the field of cancer care and oncology, particularly healthcare professionals working in advanced practice roles and nurse educators. It is also anticipated that professionals working in pastoral care, occupational therapy, social work and radiography will be interested in this book.

Caring for the Family Caregiver examines the high cost and poorly addressed exigencies of the family caregiver in chronic illness, including health literacy, palliative care, and health outcomes, through the prism of communication. This book uses an interdisciplinary approach to identify the impact of communication and its burdens on the caregiver and presents four caregiver profiles: the Manager, Carrier, Partner, and Lone caregiver, each emerging from a family system with different patterns of conversational sharing and expectations of conformity. By synthesizing current data assessing the experiences of caregivers, as well as integrating the narrative experiences of a range of caregivers living through a variety of illnesses and their specific demands, the authors deliver an unflinching gaze at the journey of the caregiver. With an author team comprised of three health communication researchers and a nurse and health literacy expert, this volume integrates literature addressing caregiver needs and burdens, communication theory and practice, palliative care and health literacy research, and the real stories of caregivers. Caring for the Family Caregiver presents the groundbreaking concept of the Caregiver Types and an innovative set of support resources to facilitate improved pathways to better care for the caregiver, making it an essential resource for providers, students, clinicians, policy makers and family caregivers alike.

Using Guided Imagery and Hypnosis in Brief Therapy and Palliative Care presents a model for effective single-session therapy. Chapters include more than a dozen case studies with transcripts and commentary. Readers will learn how to use an adapted model of Remen's healing circle for preparing patients for surgery, and guided imagery and other approaches are presented for enhancing palliative care. Extensive appendixes provide a wide variety of valuable tools that psychotherapists can use with clients concerned with end-of-life issues.

Death and Dying is an important core text for students and professionals interested in developing a holistic understanding of death and dying. Chapters are replete with case studies, activities, key point boxes, and other features that enable readers to develop a sociologically informed understanding of the broad range of complex issues that underpin death and dying. Written by two established and highly respected experts in the field, it offers a thoroughgoing account of a wide range of social aspects of death and dying, filling gaps left by the traditionally narrow focus of the existing literature. By drawing the suggested sociological perspectives and highlighting the role of social policy, the authors put forward a fresh perspective of the field of thanatology. This book is a major contribution in progressing knowledge and understanding of dying and death for students and professionals in counseling, health and human services.

This is the first book to explore how religion, belief and spirituality are negotiated in hospice care. Specifically, it considers the significant place that spiritual care has in hospice care and claims that the changing role of religion and belief in society highlights the need to re-examine how such identities are integrated in professional practice. Using religious literacy as a framework, the author explores how healthcare professionals in hospice care respond to religion, belief and spiritual identities of service users. Part 1 provides a comprehensive account of the content and history of the place of religion, belief and spirituality in hospice care. Part 2 examines how these topics are negotiated in hospice care by looking at three key areas: environment, professional practice and organisation. Part 3 proposes a religious literacy model applicable to hospice care and explores implications for practice and policy. Lastly, the author identifies future trends in research, policy and practice. Drawing on a range of theories and concepts and proposing a working model that can impact the training of future and current professionals, Religious Literary in Hospice Care should be considered essential reading for students, researchers and practitioners.

This book helps nursing and healthcare students to prepare for the challenges of working with the increasing number of patients requiring palliative care, so that they can work in partnership with patients and their carers, providing care that is compassionate, practical and backed up by the latest evidence. Delivering palliative care can be emotionally challenging and the book focuses on supporting healthcare staff, allowing them to provide the care that is needed. Key features include: * case studies in every chapter, helping students to practically work through difficult scenarios * reflective activities that assist readers in thinking critically about their care and how to improve it * a holistic approach to palliative care that includes family, carers and interprofessional work * up to date theory and policy. Palliative Care in Nursing and Healthcare is suitable for undergraduate nursing students and allied health students and practitioners. Michelle Brown is Senior Lecturer at the University of Derby.

The challenges faced by individuals and families at the end of life are still incredibly diverse, and many behavioural interventions and clinical approaches have been developed to address this great diversity of experiences in the face of dying and death, helping providers to care for their clients. Perspectives on Behavioural Interventions in Palliative and End-of-Life Care is an accessible resource that collates and explores interventions that can be used to address a wide range of behavioural, psychological, social and spiritual issues that arise when people are facing advanced chronic or life-limiting illness. With perspectives from experienced clinicians, providers, and caregivers from around the world, this book offers a strong foundation in contemporary evidence-based practice alongside seasoned practice insights from the field. Its chapters explore: Interventions to enhance communication and decision making The management of physical and mental health symptoms Meaning-Centred Psychotherapy for cancer patients Dignity Therapy Interventions embracing cultural diversity and intersectionality. Together with Perspectives on Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Disease, Social and Cultural Context, the book provides a foundation for collaborative international and interprofessional work by providing state-of science information on behavioural interventions addressing mental health and wellness. It is of interest to academics, researchers and postgraduates in the fields of mental health, medicine, psychology and social work, and is essential reading for healthcare providers and trainees from psychosocial and palliative medicine, social work and nursing.

Individuals and families face challenges at the end of life that can vary significantly depending on social and cultural contexts, yet more than ever is now known about the needs that cut across the great diversity of experiences in the face of dying and death. A number of behavioural interventions and clinical approaches to addressing these needs have been developed and are available to help providers care for clients and assist them in achieving their goals. Perspectives on Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Disease, Social and Cultural Contexts explores how these interventions can be used to address a range of issues across social and cultural contexts for those in need of end of life care. With perspectives from experienced clinicians, providers, and caregivers from around the world, the book offers a strong foundation in contemporary evidence-based practice alongside seasoned practice insights from the field and explores interventions for people as diverse as HIV caregivers in Africa and individuals dying with dementia. In addition, readers will learn about the process of caring for individuals with chronic illnesses including severe mental illness; weigh the impact of policy regulations on the availability of and access to palliative care and interventions; and be able to compare the different issues experienced by family caregivers and formal caregivers. As the companion volume to Perspectives on Behavioural Interventions in Palliative and End-of-Life Care, this book will be of interest to a wide variety of individuals, such as academics, researchers and postgraduates in the fields of mental health, medicine, psychology and social work. It will also be essential reading for healthcare providers and trainees from psychosocial and palliative medicine, social work and nursing.

This book explores how, in encounters with the terminally ill and dying, there is something existentially at stake for the professional, not only the patient. It connects the professional and personal lives of the interviewees, a range of professionals working in palliative and intensive care. Kjetil Moen discusses how the inner and outer worlds, the psychic and the social, and the existential and the cultural, all inform professionals' experience of work at the boundary between life and death. Death at Work is written for an academic audience, but is accessible to and offers insights for practitioners in a variety of fields.

This practical guide summarizes the principles of working with dying patients and their families as influenced by the commoner world religions and secular philosophies. It also outlines the main legal requirements to be followed by those who care for the dying following the death of the patient. The first part of the book provides a reflective introduction to the general influences of world religions on matters to do with dying, death and grief. It considers the sometimes conflicting relationships between ethics, religion, culture and personal philosophies and how these differences impact on individual cases of dying, death and loss. The second part describes the general customs and beliefs of the major religions that are encountered in hospitals, hospices, care homes and home care settings. It also includes discussion of non-religious spirituality, humanism, agnosticism and atheism. The final part outlines key socio-legal aspects of death across the UK. Death, Religion and Law provides key knowledge, discussion and reflection for dealing with the diversity of the everyday care of dying and death in different religious, secular and cultural contexts. It is an important reference for practitioners working with dying patients, their families and the bereaved.

So much emphasis in paramedic practice is placed on saving lives, and so how can you provide the best care for patients who are approaching the end of theirs? Knowing when it is appropriate to transfer palliative and end of life patients to hospital can be challenging as there are often many complex factors at stake which can have an impact on both patients and their families. Digging deep into the ethical and clinical aspects of working with palliative patients as a paramedic, this book is the go-to resource to enable you to act within the patient's best interests and provide the most appropriate and effective care. Key features include: Twenty-four case studies covering a range of relevant topics to help apply principles to your own practice Clinical information on symptom control and pain management Written specifically for paramedics, by a range of specialist authors Designated chapters on the role of the paramedic in palliative care, palliative care emergencies and personal resilience Full-colour diagrams throughout. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all more aware of the importance of patient-centred palliative care; this book is full of tips and techniques to help you feel more confident in ensuring patients not only die 'well' but also live with dignity and comfort.

Management of Clinical Depression and Anxiety provides a brief set of clinical guidelines for handling clinical depression and anxiety in cancer patients. Using a practical toolkit format, this volume covers a variety of topics including: assessment methods, treatment methods, psychiatric emergencies and disorders, policies, service and ethical issues, confidentiality, and communication issues. Self-assessment quizzes round out each chapter, and the volume concludes with an appendix of patient screening tools. Part of the Psycho-oncology Care: Companion Guides for Clinicians series, this highly readable, concise pocket guide is an ideal resource for oncology clinicians and mental health professionals training in psycho-oncology to use as a quick reference in everyday practice.

This practical manual presents the main drugs and protocols currently used in the psychopharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders in cancer and palliative care settings and explores the principal issues involved in such treatment. Significant clinical challenges encountered in the psychopharmacological management of various psychiatric conditions are discussed, covering aspects such as side-effects and drug-drug interactions. Attention is also paid to the emerging theme of adjuvant use of psychotropic drugs for the treatment of symptoms or syndromes not primarily related to psychiatric disorders. In addition, practical suggestions are provided for dealing with special populations, including children and the elderly. The book is designed to be easy to read and to reference, with helpful concise tables and boxes. The authors include some of the most renowned clinicians working in the field of psycho-oncology.

Written by an international team of authors the Oxford Textbook of Communication in Oncology and Palliative Care integrates clinical wisdom with empirical findings. It draws upon the history of communication science, providing the reader with a comprehensive curriculum for applied communication skills training. An essential resource, the Oxford Textbook of Communication in Oncology and Palliative Care is filled with tips and strategies for effective communication about difficult and challenging communication. In focusing on cancer and the end-of-life, it deals with the existential and spiritual challenges found across all of medicine, providing deep insights into what is at stake and how clinicians might optimally respond. This authoritative and wide-ranging book provides clinicians with state-of-the-art and evidence-based guidelines to achieve effective, patient-centred communication in the clinical settings of oncology and palliative care. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition includes sections on the curriculum for nurses, the core curriculum, and an introductory section on communication science. The chapters embrace specialty issues across the clinical disciplines, from enrolling in clinical trials, working in teams, and discussing genetic risk, to talking about sexuality, infertility, and intercultural issues. An educational perspective is also provided, with chapters covering communication skills training, how to evaluate courses, and international models of training.

The concept of a "good death" has been hotly debated in medical circles for decades. This volume delves into the possibility and desirability of a "good death" by presenting the psychosocial measures of care as a crucial component, such as religion, existentialism, hope and meaning-making. The volume also focuses on oncologic psychiatry and the influence of technology as a means to alleviate pain and suffering, and potentially provide relief to those at the end of life. Such initiatives are aimed at diminishing pain and are socially bolstering and emotionally comforting to ensure a peaceful closure with life as opposed to a battle waged. Utilizing the most recent information from medical journals and books to present the latest on healthcare and dying today, this volume crosses the boundaries of thanatology, psychology, religion, spirituality, medical ethics and public health.

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the social and technological context from which eHealth applications have arisen, the psychological principles on which they are based, and the key development and evaluation issues relevant to their successful intervention. Integrating how eHealth applications can be used for both mental and physical health issues, it presents a complete guide to what eHealth means in theory, as well as how it can be used in practice. Inspired by the principles and structure of the CeHRes Roadmap, a multidisciplinary framework that combines and uses aspects from approaches such as human-centred design, persuasive technology and business modelling, the book first examines the theoretical foundations of eHealth and then assesses its practical application and assessment. Including case studies, a glossary of key terms, and end of chapter summaries, this ground-breaking book provides a holistic overview of one of the most important recent developments in healthcare. It will be essential reading for students, researchers and professionals across the fields of health psychology, public health and design technology.

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Hospice is the premiere end of life program in the United States, but its requirement that patients forgo disease-directed therapies and that they have a prognosis of 6 months or less means that it serves less than half of dying patients and often for very short periods of time. Palliative care offers careful attention to pain and symptom management, added support for patients and families, and assistance with difficult medical decision making alongside any and all desired medical treatments, but it does not include a comprehensive system of care as is provided by hospice. The practice of palliative care and hospice is filled with sometimes overt (requests for hastened death in an environment where such acts are legally prohibited) and other times covert (the delay in palliative care referral because the health care team believes it will undermine disease directed treatment) ethical issues. The contributors to this volume use a series of case presentations within each chapter to illustrate some of the palliative care and hospice challenges with significant ethical dimensions across the three overarching domains: 1) care delivery systems; 2) addressing the many dimensions of suffering; and 3) difficult decisions near the end of life. The contributors are among the most experienced palliative care, hospice and ethics scholars in North America and Western Europe. Each has been given relatively free reign to address what they feel are the most pressing ethical challenges within their domain, so a wide range of positions and vantage points are represented. As a result, the volume provides a very diverse ethical exploration of this relatively young field that can deepen, stretch, and at times confront any simple notion of the challenges facing patients, their families, professional caregivers, and policy makers.

In Death, Dying, and Organ Transplantation: Reconstructing Medical Ethics at the End of Life, Miller and Truog challenge fundamental doctrines of established medical ethics. They argue that the routine practice of stopping life support technology in hospitals causes the death of patients and that donors of vital organs (hearts, lungs, liver, and both kidneys) are not really dead at the time that their organs are removed for life-saving transplantation. These practices are ethically legitimate but are not compatible with traditional rules of medical ethics that doctors must not intentionally cause the death of their patients and that vital organs can be obtained for transplantation only from dead donors. In this book Miller and Truog undertake an ethical examination that aims to honestly face the reality of medical practices at the end of life. They expose the misconception that stopping life support merely allows patients to die from their medical conditions, and they dispute the accuracy of determining death of hospitalized patients on the basis of a diagnosis of "brain death" prior to vital organ donation. After detailing the factual and conceptual errors surrounding current practices of determining death for the purpose of organ donation, the authors develop a novel ethical account of procuring vital organs. In the context of reasonable plans to withdraw life support, still-living patients are not harmed or wronged by organ donation prior to their death, provided that valid consent has been obtained for stopping treatment and for organ donation. Recognizing practical difficulties in facing the truth regarding organ donation, the authors also develop a pragmatic alternative account based on the concept of transparent legal fictions. In sum, Miller and Truog argue that in order to preserve the legitimacy of end-of-life practices, we need to reconstruct medical ethics.

The challenges faced by individuals and families at the end of life are still incredibly diverse, and many behavioural interventions and clinical approaches have been developed to address this great diversity of experiences in the face of dying and death, helping providers to care for their clients. Perspectives on Behavioural Interventions in Palliative and End-of-Life Care is an accessible resource that collates and explores interventions that can be used to address a wide range of behavioural, psychological, social and spiritual issues that arise when people are facing advanced chronic or life-limiting illness. With perspectives from experienced clinicians, providers, and caregivers from around the world, this book offers a strong foundation in contemporary evidence-based practice alongside seasoned practice insights from the field. Its chapters explore: Interventions to enhance communication and decision making The management of physical and mental health symptoms Meaning-Centred Psychotherapy for cancer patients Dignity Therapy Interventions embracing cultural diversity and intersectionality. Together with Perspectives on Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Disease, Social and Cultural Context, the book provides a foundation for collaborative international and interprofessional work by providing state-of science information on behavioural interventions addressing mental health and wellness. It is of interest to academics, researchers and postgraduates in the fields of mental health, medicine, psychology and social work, and is essential reading for healthcare providers and trainees from psychosocial and palliative medicine, social work and nursing.

Current projections indicate that by 2050 the number of people aged over 80 years old will rise to 395 million and that by this date 25-30% of people over the age of 85 will show some degree of cognitive decline. Palliative care for older people: A public health perspective provides a comprehensive account of the current state of palliative care for older people worldwide and illustrates the range of concomitant issues that, as the global population ages, will ever more acutely shape the decisions of policy-makers and care-givers. The book begins by outlining the range of policies towards palliative care for older people that are found worldwide. It follows this by examining an array of socio-cultural issues and palliative care initiatives, from the care implications of health trajectories of older people to the spiritual requirements of palliative care patients, and from the need to encourage compassion towards end-of-life care within communities to the development of care pathways for older people. Palliative care for older people: A public health perspective is a valuable resource for professionals and academics in a range of healthcare and public health fields to understand the current state of policy work from around the world. The book also highlights the social-cultural considerations that influence the difficult decisions that those involved in palliative care face, not least patients themselves, and offers examples of good practice and recommendations to inspire, support, and direct healthcare policy and decision-making at organisational, regional, national and international levels.

Palliative care is an essential element of our health care system and becoming increasingly significant amidst an aging society and organizations struggling to provide both compassionate and cost effective care. Palliative care is also characterized by a strong interdisciplinary approach. Nurses are at the center of the palliative care team across settings and populations. The second volume in the HPNA Palliative Nursing Series, Physical Aspects of Care: Pain, Nausea and Vomiting, Fatigue and Bowel Management, provides an overview of the principles of symptom assessment and management for symptoms including: pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, obstruction, and ascites. The content of the concise, clinically-focused volumes in the HPNA series prepares nurses for certification exams as well as quick-reference in daily practice. Plentiful tables, figures, and practical tools such as assessment instruments, pharmacology tables, and patient teaching points make these volumes useful resources for nurses.

Patients with advanced cancer may develop a number of clinical complications related to tumor progression or a variety of aggressive treatments. The majority of these patients are elderly, often with multiple co-morbidities that require appropriate assessment and management. In the palliative stage of their disease, patients undergo a progressive transition from active acute care to community-based hospice care. This transition requires modification in the diagnostic tests, monitoring procedures and pharmacological treatments to adjust them to the palliative and short-term nature of the care. Internal Medicine Issues in Palliative Cancer Care looks at internal medicine through a prognosis-based framework and provides a practical approach to maximizing comfort and quality of life while minimizing aggressive investigations and therapies for patients with life-limiting disease. Forty-six common internal medicine conditions are organized into nine clinical categories: pulmonary, cardiovascular, nephrologic and metabolic, gastrointestinal, hematologic, infectious, endocrine, rheumatologic, and neuro-psychiatric. This evidence-based resource is ideal for educating clinicians delivering palliative care to cancer patients in acute care facilities about complex internal medicine problems, decision-making regarding diagnostics and therapeutics which require a good understanding of state-of-the-art internal medicine and palliative care principles.

The growing geriatric population in the United States has created an increasing need for palliative medicine services across the range of medical and surgical specialties. Yet, palliative medicine lacks the resources to carry such a workload itself. Geriatric Palliative Care addresses this need by encouraging individual specialties to "own" the management of elderly with the same vigor as they "own" other key management competencies within their specialty. This clinically focused and highly practical handbook, which compliments the more comprehensive text Geriatric Palliative Care by Sean Morrison and Diane Meier (Oxford University Press, 2003), encourages this process of learning and ownership across many medical specialties. Designed to be readable and easily accessible to a range of health care providers, Geriatric Palliative Care outlines specific strategies for caring for specific palliative care issues common in elderly patients. The handbook also provides evidence based advice for helping patients, relatives, and staff cope with such issues as polypharmacy, dementia and consent, multiple pathologies, home care, elderly caregivers, and supporting the elderly in the place where they would like to be.