TOPICS
Palliative and Hospice Care | Resources
Also see Pain
Management
The goal of palliative care is to
achieve the best possible quality of life for patients and their
families when the patients disease is not responsive to curative
treatment.
The goals include control of pain and
of other symptoms, and to find solutions to psychological, social and
spiritual problems.
Palliative care might also apply to patients and
families earlier in the course of the illness.
Palliative care affirms
life and the process of dying. It neither hastens nor postpones
death. It provides relief from pain, and integrates psychological and
spiritual aspects of care. It provides for living as active and full a
life as possible. Finally, it offers support to the family during the
illness and in bereavement. Typically, hospice
care facilities specialize in palliative care.
In the News:
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Hospice
medical care for dying patients
http://nyr.kr/di8Mqi
Very difficult to read,
but excellent article on end of life care and
hospice--warning- not for the faint hearted-- but does
raise issues to think about
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End of life
issues: The Truth About Hospice Care
http://bit.ly/psZOSy
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GOODBYE, MY FRIENDS
- By Art Buchwald
"Now, to get down to the business at hand, I have had many
choices concerning how I wanted to go. Most of them are very civilized, particularly hospice care. A
hospice makes it very easy for you when
you decide to go."
How to find hospice care in
your area?
Start with the Yellow
Pages and look up Hospice
care providers
Also contact local chapters of the American Cancer Society, Agency
on Aging, United Way, the Visiting Nurse Association, or your place
of worship. See Resources below.
Obtain a list of licensed agencies by
contacting:
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Your State's hospice organization |
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Department of Health or Social Services |
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The Blue Pages of your Phone book for other resources in your area.
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Preparing for Approaching Death in Hospice
Hands www.npr.org
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When to Let Go?
Treating cancer sometimes involves walking a fine line
between
helping and hurting patients. scienceblogs.com
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How far would you go to sustain the life of someone you love,
or your own? http://to.pbs.org/eNFp1a
An excellent Frontline piece
about end of life issues, and the tradeoffs of modern medicine.
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When do you move from living to dying?
Nov 03 2010
Published by Pal MD under Medical Musings, Medicine
http://bit.ly/bPhDS4
Toby writes: Good post!! Recommend to all patients and
caregivers! |
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Letting Go:
What should medicine do when it can’t save your life?
by Atul Gawande
http://nyr.kr/di8Mqi
JoJo writes:
Amazing article thanks. Aug 26th my 85 year old mother had a
major stroke 10 days after getting a pace-maker. Dayle called me
at work and I spoke to the paramedics as they were transporting
her. At the hospital my sister and I were questioned about DNR's
etc as we contacted my brother who lives 3000 miles away. You
think you are ready to deal with these tragedies in our lives
but we realized as a family we had not discussed Mum's wishes.
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Advance Directives: Five Wishes: http://bit.ly/362YEO
Five Wishes lets your family and doctors know:
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Who you want to make health care decisions for you when you
can't make them.
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The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want.
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How comfortable you want to be.
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How you want people to treat you.
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What you want your loved ones to know.
Link to free presentation guide
PDF
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Very good NY Times article on hospice care
http://bit.ly/4Qu0y8
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Decide
for Yourself: A guide to Healthcare Directives: haponline.org
pdf
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'Futile Care:' What to Do When Your Patient Insists on Chemotherapy That Likely Won’t Help
James Khatcheressian, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine cancernetwork.com
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What Is Hospice Care? ACS
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How do I find Hospice Care? ACS
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Voluntary Death: A
Comparison of Terminal Dehydration and Physician-Assisted
Suicide, Annals of Internal Medicine
ACP
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Hospice Education Institute/Hospice Link hospiceworld.org
Telephone Number: 800-331-1620 or 860-767-1620 Fax Number: 860-767-2746
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Hospice Foundation of America - www.hospicefoundation.org
Telephone Number: 800-854-3402
Advocate for hospice care. Provides public education and information.
Lists hospices in a geographical area.
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Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
jcaho.org
Telephone Number: 630-792-5000 | Fax Number: 630-792-5005
Provides information on accredited hospice agencies.
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Medicare medicare.gov
Telephone Number: 800-633-4227
Answers questions about Medicare benefits and coverage for all Medicare recipients.
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National Association for Home Care (NAHC) - www.nahc.org
Telephone Number: 202-547-7424 | Fax Number: 202-547-3540
Provides a state-by-state database of phone numbers for state home care and hospice agencies.
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National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations (NHPCO's)
nhpco.org
Telephone Number: 800-658-8898 (Hospice Helpline)
Provides information about hospice programs in your area.
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Hospice Link - Telephone Number: 800-331-1620
Maintains a computerized and continually updated directory of hospice and palliative care programs in the United States; it also provides general information about the principles and practices of good hospice care.
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Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNA) vnaa.org
Telephone Number: 1-800-426-2547 - call for the VNA in your area
Provides services such as skilled nursing and mental health care, hospice care, and home health care.
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