Full Description
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
Contents
Foreword ; Introduction ; 1. The challenge of providing palliative care in the home ; 2. Symptom palliation ; 3. Pain palliation ; 4. Psychosocial issues ; 5. Spiritual and religious issues ; 6. Emergencies in palliative care ; 7. Ethical issues ; 8. Communication issues ; 9. Home, hospital or hospice? ; 10. Co-ordination of care at home ; 11. Grief and bereavement ; 12. Professional stress in palliative care ; 13. The final days; terminal care at home ; Appendix 1 Bibliography ; Appendix 2 Useful addresses ; Appendix 3 Drugs for doctor's bag ; Appendix 4 Setting up a syringe driver
