This volume outlines the belief that nursing homes can and should support the physical, psychological, and social needs of residents, and that residents can thrive in nursing homes when these needs are met. The book's contributors explore the role that palliative or comfort care plays in enhancing the quality of life of nursing home residents as well as the medical, familial, psychological, cultural, and financial issues that influence decision-making about end-of-life care. The book is designed to be a tool to prepare social workers to advocate for a greater incorporation of palliative care and psychosocial care into the culture of nursing home care. The book includes discussions of the psychosocial needs of nursing home residents and families, the financing of long-term care and end-of-life care, ethical issues in chronic care and end of life, trends and characteristics in nursing home care, rituals and grief at end-of-life, and considerations for the future. Each chapter includes case examples to further illustrate points made.

This volume outlines the belief that nursing homes can and should support the physical, psychological, and social needs of residents, and that residents can thrive in nursing homes when these needs are met. The book's contributors explore the role that palliative or comfort care plays in enhancing the quality of life of nursing home residents as well as the medical, familial, psychological, cultural, and financial issues that influence decision-making about end-of-life care. The book is designed to be a tool to prepare social workers to advocate for a greater incorporation of palliative care and psychosocial care into the culture of nursing home care. The book includes discussions of the psychosocial needs of nursing home residents and families, the financing of long-term care and end-of-life care, ethical issues in chronic care and end of life, trends and characteristics in nursing home care, rituals and grief at end-of-life, and considerations for the future. Each chapter includes case examples to further illustrate points made.

Palliative Care is the first book to provide a comprehensive understanding of the new field that is transforming the way Americans deal with serious illness. Diane E. Meier, M.D., one of the field's leaders and a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius award" in 2009, opens the volume with a sweeping overview of the field. In her essay, Dr. Meier examines the roots of palliative care, explores the key legal and ethical issues, discusses the development of palliative care, and presents ideas on policies that can improve access to palliative care. Dr. Meier's essay is followed by reprints of twenty-five of the most important articles in the field. They range from classic pieces by some of the field's pioneers, such as Eric Cassel, Balfour Mount, and Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, to influential newer articles on topics such as caregiving and cost savings of palliative care. The reprints cover a wide range of topics including: Why the care of the seriously ill is so important Efforts to cope with advanced illness Legal and ethical issues Pain management Cross-cultural issues Philosophical perspective The demand for palliative care has been nothing short of stunning largely because of palliative care's positive impact on both the quality and the cost of care provided to seriously ill individuals. By providing a wide-ranging perspective on this growing field, this book will serve as a guide for developing meaningful approaches that will lead to better health care for all Americans.

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.

The Future of Nursing explores how nurses' roles, responsibilities, and education should change significantly to meet the increased demand for care that will be created by health care reform and to advance improvements in America's increasingly complex health system. At more than 3 million in number, nurses make up the single largest segment of the health care work force. They also spend the greatest amount of time in delivering patient care as a profession. Nurses therefore have valuable insights and unique abilities to contribute as partners with other health care professionals in improving the quality and safety of care as envisioned in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted this year. Nurses should be fully engaged with other health professionals and assume leadership roles in redesigning care in the United States. To ensure its members are well-prepared, the profession should institute residency training for nurses, increase the percentage of nurses who attain a bachelor's degree to 80 percent by 2020, and double the number who pursue doctorates. Furthermore, regulatory and institutional obstacles-including limits on nurses' scope of practice-should be removed so that the health system can reap the full benefit of nurses' training, skills, and knowledge in patient care. In this book, the Institute of Medicine makes recommendations for an action-oriented blueprint for the future of nursing.

"It is so important to advocate for things that may not always seem possible. Getting to work with patients/families at the end of their life is the ultimate honor." - Lauren G Markham, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C "In this work, one witnesses both depths of human suffering and heights of human transcendence that can inspire both awe and fear. At those times, I have found that surrendering my need to be "an expert" and instead, allow myself to simply be a "human" is the wisest action." - Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW"--

The teacher and gerontological social work scholar Mercedes Bern-Klug joins experts on nursing, law, medicine, sociology, and social work to provide a thorough understanding of nursing home palliative care. Their broad definition of palliative care treats comfort care as appropriate across the illness experience, not just at the end of life. Because a majority of nursing home residents are older adults facing multiple, advanced chronic conditions, this book is grounded in the provision of palliative care-especially palliative psychosocial care. Yet its practice recommendations can also be applied to other long-term care settings, such as assisted living. The contributors combine scholarship with practical wisdom in each chapter, mixing reviews of scholarly literature with insights gleaned from clinical practice. Chapter topics comply with the eight domains of palliative care developed by the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. Some focus on care of the resident, while others concern the resident's family. A special section addresses self-care for nursing home staff members, and another discusses nursing home rituals to mark the death of a resident. Bern-Klug concludes with an overview of the factors that will shape the future of palliative care for advanced chronic illness.