Legal and Ethical Issues in the United States
As the field of palliative care has grown and evolved, so also has an evolution occurred in the ethical and legal issues that are associated with care at the end…
Advance Care Planning
Overview Advance care planning is a process that aims to align medical decisions with patient values and preferences in the event that the patient cannot communicate. In the context of…
Responding to Requests for Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide
The palliative care movement developed in response to concerns that care at the end of life had been badly done in the midst of the acute care and technologic advances…
Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Therapies
One of the advances of modern medical technology has been the creation of therapies to sustain life. These therapies, such as artificial nutrition and hydration, mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and cardiopulmonary…
Local Wound Care for Palliative and Malignant Wounds
Chronic cutaneous wounds often are complex, recalcitrant to healing, and may not follow a predictable trajectory of repair despite standard interventions. The exact mechanisms that contribute to poor wound healing…
Palliative Care: A Quiet Revolution in Patient Care
The opening quote from the Institute of Medicine stands in stark contrast to the reality that dying can be the last great time of living. Sadly, multiple studies have confirmed…
Loss, Bereavement, and Adaptation
Approaches to grief for bereaved family members are an important focus of theoretical, empirical, and clinical work in palliative care. However, it is essential also to focus on the experiences…
Supporting the Family in Palliative Care
As an individual’s illness progresses, family members play an increased role in caregiving and decision making. In the effort to manage changing care needs and maximize their loved one’s quality…
