Choices in Palliative Care: Issues in Health Care Delivery

Description

The average person lives with chronic disease for three to six years. Nine out of ten deaths in America are caused by chronic illness. Half of all care of HIV/AIDS patients is defined as palliative care. Keeping up with these statistics means improving on traditional concepts of palliative care to meet growing demands. Choices in Palliative Care brings together 31 leading experts to spotlight core issues in the field, identify ways PC can fill gaps in current care systems, and demonstrate state-of-the-art care that is both cost-effective and clinically appropriate. This far-sighted volume redefines palliative care as interdisciplinary and integrative, providing liaisons between patients, families, and doctors; minimizing loved ones’ care burdens; bridging acute and long-term care to respond to clients’ evolving needs; adaptable to non-fatal (and possibly curable) chronic illnesses. Key areas of coverage: PC in acute care, long-term nursing facilities, hospice, and home settings Models of PC for AIDS/HIV, cancer, heart disease, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s Specific quality-of-life issues concerning children and the elderly Successful business planning for PC, from funding to staffing, program development to quality improvement Legal, ethical, and policy issues specific to PC Because so much of the future of health care delivery depends on the palliative field, Choices in Palliative Care is must reading for public health administrators, planners, and policymakers. Those teaching health service delivery courses will find this material especially useful.