The first text to explore the history, characteristics, and challenges of hospice social work, this volume weaves leading research into an underlying framework for practice and care. A longtime practitioner, Dona J. Reese describes the hospice social work role in assessment and intervention with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and the community, while honestly confronting the personal and professional difficulties of such life-changing work. She introduces a well-tested model of psychosocial and spiritual variables that predict hospice client outcomes, and she advances a social work assessment tool to document their occurrence. Operating at the center of national leaders' coordinated efforts to develop and advance professional organizations and guidelines for end-of-life care, Reese reaches out with support and practice information, helping social workers understand their significance in treating the whole person, contributing to the cultural competence of hospice settings, and claiming a definitive place within the hospice team.

Hospice nursing is not for the fainthearted. As Margaret R. Crawford, BSN, touches on in her new guide to this particular specialty, it takes inner strength to be able to walk up to a hospice patient's door every day. Crawford stresses that it isn't simply the technical aspects of hospice nursing that make it challenging, but the emotional attachments and anxieties that may emerge. In Hospice Nursing, Crawford covers the reasons someone would choose hospice nursing; the importance of self-care; the day-to-day routine of a hospice nurse; the admission conversation; different ways to treat and comfort patients with small children or patients with addictions; the complex relationships between nurses, patients, their families, and coworkers; the need to recognize and plan for burnout; and other basic challenges nurses must face. While hospice care may be demanding, Crawford is also quick to say that it can also be incredibly rewarding. As a nurse or caretaker, you are committed to making a difference in someone's life. Hospice care allows you to help alleviate the suffering of others. If this is something you are interested in pursuing, Crawford has all the information you need to get started.

An on-the-go reference for hospice nurses and those interested in end-of-life care, this practical guide covers the essential elements in the compassionate and holistic care of terminally ill patients and their families. Nurses care for patients facing end-of-life issues in every practice specialty and, as the U.S. population continues to age, the need for proficiency in end-of-life skills will become increasingly important. Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse: A Concise Guide to End-of-Life Care is an invaluable resource that provides emotional, administrative, and palliative support, whether in a hospice, long-term care facility, or acute care setting. This vital go-to text clearly and concisely lays out not only how to care for patients facing end-of-life issues, but also how to engage in self-care and cope with occupational stress. Beginning with an overview of hospice care, including its history and philosophy, this book offers a timeline of the growth of the hospice movement in the United States. Subsequent sections include up-to-date information on the clinical responsibilities of the hospice nurse in addressing the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of terminally ill patients and their families in a culturally sensitive way. This book also outlines the administrative duties of the hospice nurse, including hospice documentation, a review of hospice regulations, and quality management. The closing section focuses on occupational stress in hospice nursing and how to engage in self-care. This text can serve as a useful clinical resource and also as a reference for nurses seeking hospice certification from the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center. Key Features Organized within the context of the scope and standards of practice of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association. Addresses key points about issues unique to hospice nursing and highlights evidence-based interventions Addresses important Medicare regulations and reimbursement Offers numerous clinical resources to assist with hospice nursing practice Serves as a concise study resource for hospice nursing certification

Explains how to start a hospice, discusses issues concerning their Administration, And Considers Staff Stress, Emotional Support For mourners, ethical problems, and legal concerns.

A revised edition of the classic report on hospice communities includes information on pain and symptom management, and new material on the hospice community's response to the AIDS crisis

This is the only handbook for hospice and palliative care professionals looking to enhance their care delivery or their programs with LGBTQ-inclusive care. Anchored in the evidence, extensively referenced, and written in clear, easy-to-understand language, LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care provides clear, actionable strategies for hospice and palliative physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, and chaplains.

Through The Hospice Heritage: Celebrating Our Future, physicians, nurses, social workers, and clergy will find unique examples to give patients the attention, care, and understanding they need at that time in their life. Since 80 of people who die do so without the support of a hospice program, this important book offers approaches designed to expand access to hospice and provide a solid foundation of treatment for patients with cancer and non-cancer diagnoses. Written by experts in the field, The Hospice Heritage will help you care for those patients whose life span is uncertain, improving their quality of life in throughout their last days. This commemorative book offers an encompassing portrayal of the development of hospice from its origins to its present forms. The Hospice Heritage contains state-of-the-art presentations of hospice-related issues and examines current efforts in hospice and palliative care, including the latest concepts in symptom control, guidelines for patients with diseases other than cancer, and measuring the quality and impact of care. Informative and moving, The Hospice Heritage explores the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of end-of-life care. This important book discusses many topics relevant to hospice today, including: presenting the most common physical symptoms experienced by hospice patients and the comprehensive standards of care for these symptoms; deepening the spiritual aspect of dying as patients, families, and care providers seek understanding and resolution; examining end-of-life decision-making issues, and the barriers which continue to restrict patient and family involvement and choices and identifying the evolving relationship between hospice and palliative care and the consequences, benefits, and dilemmas of this partnership.