Medical Care at the End of Life

Medical Care at the End of Life PDF Author: David F. Kelly
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
ISBN: 1589011120
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Outlining eight major issues regarding end-of-life care as seen through the lens of the Catholic medical ethics tradition, this work looks at the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means; the difference between killing and allowing to die; and criteria of patient competence.

Medical Care at the End of Life

Medical Care at the End of Life PDF Author: David F. Kelly
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
ISBN: 1589011120
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Outlining eight major issues regarding end-of-life care as seen through the lens of the Catholic medical ethics tradition, this work looks at the distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means; the difference between killing and allowing to die; and criteria of patient competence.

Approaching Death

Approaching Death PDF Author: Committee on Care at the End of Life
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309518253
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
When the end of life makes its inevitable appearance, people should be able to expect reliable, humane, and effective caregiving. Yet too many dying people suffer unnecessarily. While an "overtreated" dying is feared, untreated pain or emotional abandonment are equally frightening. Approaching Death reflects a wide-ranging effort to understand what we know about care at the end of life, what we have yet to learn, and what we know but do not adequately apply. It seeks to build understanding of what constitutes good care for the dying and offers recommendations to decisionmakers that address specific barriers to achieving good care. This volume offers a profile of when, where, and how Americans die. It examines the dimensions of caring at the end of life: Determining diagnosis and prognosis and communicating these to patient and family. Establishing clinical and personal goals. Matching physical, psychological, spiritual, and practical care strategies to the patient's values and circumstances. Approaching Death considers the dying experience in hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings and the role of interdisciplinary teams and managed care. It offers perspectives on quality measurement and improvement, the role of practice guidelines, cost concerns, and legal issues such as assisted suicide. The book proposes how health professionals can become better prepared to care well for those who are dying and to understand that these are not patients for whom "nothing can be done."

Dying in America

Dying in America PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309303133
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 638

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Book Description
For patients and their loved ones, no care decisions are more profound than those made near the end of life. Unfortunately, the experience of dying in the United States is often characterized by fragmented care, inadequate treatment of distressing symptoms, frequent transitions among care settings, and enormous care responsibilities for families. According to this report, the current health care system of rendering more intensive services than are necessary and desired by patients, and the lack of coordination among programs increases risks to patients and creates avoidable burdens on them and their families. Dying in America is a study of the current state of health care for persons of all ages who are nearing the end of life. Death is not a strictly medical event. Ideally, health care for those nearing the end of life harmonizes with social, psychological, and spiritual support. All people with advanced illnesses who may be approaching the end of life are entitled to access to high-quality, compassionate, evidence-based care, consistent with their wishes. Dying in America evaluates strategies to integrate care into a person- and family-centered, team-based framework, and makes recommendations to create a system that coordinates care and supports and respects the choices of patients and their families. The findings and recommendations of this report will address the needs of patients and their families and assist policy makers, clinicians and their educational and credentialing bodies, leaders of health care delivery and financing organizations, researchers, public and private funders, religious and community leaders, advocates of better care, journalists, and the public to provide the best care possible for people nearing the end of life.

End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care

End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care PDF Author: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0359588239
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Book Description
At the end of life, each story is different. Death comes suddenly, or a person lingers, gradually fading. For some older people, the body weakens while the mind stays alert. Others remain physically strong, but cognitive losses take a huge toll. Although everyone dies, each loss is personally felt by those close to the one who has died. End-of-life care is the term used to describe the support and medical care given during the time surrounding death. Such care does not happen only in the moments before breathing ceases and the heart stops beating. Older people often live with one or more chronic illnesses and need a lot of care for days, weeks, and even months before death. The goal of End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care is to provide guidance and help in understanding the unfamiliar territory of death. This information is based on research, such as that supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), along with other parts of the National Institutes of Health.

When Children Die

When Children Die PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309084377
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 713

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Book Description
The death of a child is a special sorrow. No matter the circumstances, a child's death is a life-altering experience. Except for the child who dies suddenly and without forewarning, physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel usually play a central role in the lives of children who die and their families. At best, these professionals will exemplify "medicine with a heart." At worst, families' encounters with the health care system will leave them with enduring painful memories, anger, and regrets. When Children Die examines what we know about the needs of these children and their families, the extent to which such needs areâ€"and are notâ€"being met, and what can be done to provide more competent, compassionate, and consistent care. The book offers recommendations for involving child patients in treatment decisions, communicating with parents, strengthening the organization and delivery of services, developing support programs for bereaved families, improving public and private insurance, training health professionals, and more. It argues that taking these steps will improve the care of children who survive as well as those who do notâ€"and will likewise help all families who suffer with their seriously ill or injured child. Featuring illustrative case histories, the book discusses patterns of childhood death and explores the basic elements of physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical care for children and families experiencing a child's life-threatening illness or injury.

Textbook of Palliative Care

Textbook of Palliative Care PDF Author: Rod MacLeod
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783319317380
Category : Medicine
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"Textbook of Palliative Care is a comprehensive, clinically relevant and state-of-the art book, aimed at advancing palliative care as a science, a clinical practice and as an art. Palliative care has been part of healthcare for over fifty years but we still find ourselves having to explain its nature and practice to colleagues and to the public in general. Healthcare education and training has been slow to recognize the vital importance of ensuring that all practitioners have a good understanding of what is involved in the care of people with serious or advanced illnesses and their families. However, the science of palliative care is advancing and our understanding concerning many aspects of palliative care is developing rapidly. The book is divided into separate sections for ease of use. Over 100 chapters written by experts in their given fields provide up-to-date information on a wide range of topics of relevance to those providing care towards the end of life no matter what the disease may be. We present a global perspective on contemporary and classic issues in palliative care with authors from a wide range of disciplines involved in this essential aspect of care. The Textbook includes sections addressing aspects such as symptom management and care provision, organization of care in different settings, care in specific disease groups, palliative care emergencies, ethics, public health approaches and research in palliative care. This Textbook will be of value to practitioners in all disciplines and professions where the care of people approaching death is important, specialists as well as non-specialists, in any setting where people with serious advanced illnesses are residing. It is also an important resource for researchers, policy-and decision-makers at national or regional levels. Neither the science nor the art of palliative care will stand still so we aim to keep this Textbook updated as the authors find new evidence and approaches to care. ." - Prové de l'editor.

NURSING CARE AT THE END OF LIFE

NURSING CARE AT THE END OF LIFE PDF Author: SUSAN. LOWEY
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Medicare Hospice Benefits

Medicare Hospice Benefits PDF Author: United States. Health Care Financing Administration
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Hospice care
Languages : en
Pages : 6

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Book Description


End-of-Life Decisions in Medical Care

End-of-Life Decisions in Medical Care PDF Author: Stephen W. Smith
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107005388
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
Stephen W. Smith explores the legal and ethical issues involved in end-of-life decision making.

The Best Care Possible

The Best Care Possible PDF Author: Ira Byock
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1583335129
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
A doctor on the front lines of hospital care illuminates one of the most important and controversial social issues of our time. It is harder to die in this country than ever before. Though the vast majority of Americans would prefer to die at home—which hospice care provides—many of us spend our last days fearful and in pain in a healthcare system ruled by high-tech procedures and a philosophy to “fight disease and illness at all cost.” Dr. Ira Byock, one of the foremost palliative-care physicians in the country, argues that how we die represents a national crisis today. To ensure the best possible elder care, Dr. Byock explains we must not only remake our healthcare system but also move beyond our cultural aversion to thinking about death. The Best Care Possible is a compelling meditation on medicine and ethics told through page-turning life-or-death medical drama. It has the power to lead a new national conversation.