The book provides comprehensive, practical guidelines on the responsibilities of those who lead, co-ordinate and manage volunteers in small hospices, large specialist palliative care units, and in general hospitals with palliative care teams. Volunteers are key workers, who often perform difficult and important work. In the United Kingdom alone there are thousands of volunteers in hospice work, a small proportion doing work with patients, and the vast majority doing equally valuable work such as driving, sitting with relatives, manning charity shops and telephones. As a result, Europe, Australia, the United States and Canada are very interested in the United Kingdom's use of volunteers. Aimed primarily at Voluntary Services Managers in small hospices, large specialist palliative care units, and in general hospitals with palliative care teams, this updated second edition covers volunteer selection, training, supervision and support, and legal and ethical considerations. Information is presented in an easily accessible way, using key points, summary panels and checklists. This book will also appeal to the volunteers themselves.

Most people with far-advanced illness wish to be cared for at home for as long as possible. The challenge of providing good palliative care at home is therefore of major importance for family doctors, nurses and all those committed to maintaining the highest possible quality of life for the dying person. As modern specialist palliative care has raised both standards of care and also public expectations of family doctors and community nurses, this book helps to place specialist care in context. As palliative care is a major responsibility for teams providing palliative care at home, this book provides a definitive guide on how to provide effective care for people with far-advanced disease. Written by two palliative medicine specialists, both of whom have been family doctors, this book deals with all the physical, emotional, spiritual and social problems likely to be encountered by family doctors and community nurses caring for a patient and relatives at home. It deals in detail with emergencies, communications, ethical issues and emphasises throughout the importance of team work. 'It provides a wealth of information and advice on all aspects of palliative care at home'. Elaine Coleridge Smith Information Exchange, No. 13, 1995