Main description:

Palliative Care Perspectives is a guide to the art and science of palliative care that links real stories of illness with practical advice to delineate clinical practice in a way that reflects the daily concerns of clinicians. Clearly and compassionately written, this book emphasizes important topics often neglected in formal clinical training, including the history and evolution of palliative care in the United States, as well as how clinicians can better
understand aging and dying from both a physiological and human perspective. Written by a recognized pioneer in the field of palliative care, each chapter highlights this human approach to illness with narratives and anecdotes drawn from decades of practice experience. This new edition features thoroughly
updated research and citations, a new chapter on burnout and compassion fatigue, and a significant expansion of the topic of intercultural communication. Well-grounded in the academic literature, Palliative Care Perspectives is an ideal introduction to the emerging field of palliative care for care providers new to practice, as well as lay readers seeking to learn more about chronic and terminal illness, presented in a personal and accessible format.

Contents:

1. Chronic Illness, Death, and Dying in Modern Times
2. Dying Trajectories and Prognostication
3. Symptom Management-Overview
4. Pain Management
5. Non-Pain Symptom Management
6. Special Therapeutic Issues: Hydration, Nutrition, and Antibiotics in End-of-Life Care
7. Psychosocial and Spiritual Aspects of Care
8. Communication
9. Working the System and Making a Difference
10. Palliative Care Consults
11. Burnout
12. The Last 48 hours