A palliative care doctor on the front lines of hospital care illuminates one of the most important and controversial ethical issues of our time on his quest to transform care through the end of life. It is harder to die in this country than ever before. Statistics show that the vast majority of Americans would prefer to die at home, yet many of us spend our last days fearful and in pain in a healthcare system ruled by high-tech procedures and a philosophy to "fight disease and illness at all cost."Dr. Ira Byock, one of the foremost palliative-care physicians in the country, argues that end-of-life care is among the biggest national crises facing us today. In addressing the crisis, politics has trumped reason. Dr. Byock explains that to ensure the best possible care for those we love-and eventually ourselves- we must not only remake our healthcare system, we must also move past our cultural aversion to talking about death and acknowledge the fact of mortality once and for all.Dr. Byock describes what palliative care really is, and-with a doctor's compassion and insight-puts a human face on the issues by telling richly moving, heart-wrenching, and uplifting stories of real people during the most difficult moments in their lives. Byock takes us inside his busy, cutting-edge academic medical center to show what the best care at the end of life can look like and how doctors and nurses can profoundly shape the way families experience loss.Like books by Atul Gawande and Jerome Groopman, The Best Care Possible is a compelling meditation on medicine and ethics told through page-turning, life or death medical drama. It is passionate and timely, and it has the power to lead a new kind of national conversation.

Nobody should have to die in pain. Nobody should have to die alone. This is Ira Byock's dream, and he is dedicating his life to making it come true. Dying Well brings us to the homes and bedsides of families with whom Dr. Byock has worked, telling stories of love and reconciliation in the face of tragedy, pain, and conflict. It is a companion for families, showing them how to deal with doctors, talk to loved ones—and make the end of life as meaningful and enriching as the beginning. Exceptional praise from M. Scott Peck, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and many others Dr. Byock is a nationally recognized leader in hospice care The hospice community is comprised of over 5,000,000 professionals and volunteers The tremendous success of How We Die (215,000 hc) and Final Gifts (150,000 pb) proves the market's viability

“At villa Donnafugata, long ago is never very far away,” writes bestselling author Marlena de Blasi of the magnificent if somewhat ruined castle in the mountains of Sicily that she stumbles upon one summer while traveling with her husband. There de Blasi is befriended by Tosca, the patroness of the villa, who shares her own unforgettable love story. In a luminous and tantalizing voice, de Blasi re-creates Tosca’s life and romance with the last prince of Sicily descended from the French nobles of Anjou. But when Prince Leo attempts to better the lives of his peasants, his defiance of the local Mafia costs him dearly. The present-day narrative finds Tosca sharing her considerable inherited wealth with a harmonious society composed of many of the women–now widowed–who once worked the prince’s land alongside their husbands. This marvelous epic drama reminds us that in order to live a rich life, one must embrace both life’s sorrow and its beauty.

Pocket sized hospice and palliative care handbook recently updated and released for those providing end of life care and interfacing with the management of advanced chronic diseases. Includes detailled assessment tool, treatment guidelines, tables and scales for pain management and other distressing symptoms. A practical educational tool for nurses in hospice, oncology, long term care and inpatient palliative care. Includes guidelines for spiritual, psychosocial and dignity conserving interventions for patients and their families facing a terminal illness!

This second edition includes new and expanded coverage of work ethics, comfort, wound care and oxygen needs, and focuses on OBRA required content. Skills included in the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) are highlighted throughout.

This best-selling, competency-based learning system provides comprehensive coverage of the theory and skills required for nursing assistants working in acute, long-term, and home health care settings. It includes all of the essential information needed to pass the competency evaluation exam required by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act (OBRA) as well as advanced nursing assistant skills. The innovative book, workbook, video series, and instructor support materials include 143 step-by-step procedures that emphasize patient/client rights, safety issues, and infection control guidelines. Supplements Workbook 0-8273-9062-9 Instructor's Manual 0-8273-9059-9 Instructor's Resource Kit 0-8273-9060-2 Compter Test Bank 0-8273-9061-0

"This textbook has...introduced concepts and methods of education which [help] to move palliative nursing forward as an evidenced based practice of whole person care." -- Betty Ferrell, PhD, FAANResearch Scientist (From the Foreword) "In this comprehensive textbook on palliative care nursing, editors Marianne Matzo and Deborah Witt Sherman succeed in bringing together the heart of nursing and the true meaning of palliative care with the most current evidence based practice." --GeriPal Palliative care is a philosophy of caregiving that integrates disease modification with supportive, compassionate therapies for patients at the end of life. Palliative care nurses are responsible for alleviating pain and other physical symptoms-along with satisfying the emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual needs of patients who are facing life-threatening illness. This third edition of Palliative Care Nursing provides more comprehensive newly updated content, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and cutting-edge teaching and learning strategies to achieve the AACN End-of-Life nursing competencies providing a lifespan approach. Now in its third edition, this book continues to emphasize the value of complementary, holistic modalities in promoting health, wholeness, and wellness, even as death approaches. Key topics discussed: Ethical aspects of palliative care Legal aspects of end-of-life decision-making Loss, suffering, grief, and bereavement on the part of patients and their families Symptom-specific nursing management of pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, malnutrition, and dehydration-all common to palliative care How to communicate with the seriously ill and dying patients, their families, and their health care providers Disease-specific aspects of palliative care for those battling cancer, heart disease, lung disease, HIV/AIDS, end-stage renal and liver disease, neurological, and other disorders

This pocket-sized companion includes the tools needed to quickly analyze medical terms, accurately form medical plurals, understand clinical tests and diagnostic procedures, interpret medical laboratory tests, identify common prescription drugs and their uses, translate medical word parts to English, and translate from English to medical word parts. A quick reference, full-color anatomy orientation is included, as well as other helpful resources such as information on prescription drugs, diagnostic tests, abbreviations, and more.Provides portable, convenient access to key medical language information.Easy-to-use format helps readers quickly decipher complicated medical terms through recognizing and finding the meanings of individual word parts.Information on medical abbreviations, symbols, acronyms and professional designations is ideal for any fast-paced setting.A visual orientation and review of the body systems is presented through vibrant, full-color illustrations.An online mini-reference with websites and key web resources keeps information up-to-date and accessible.Surgical terminology easy-reference tables provide quick access to key surgical terms.A new section covering Classes of Drugs presents the major classes of drugs with examples in each class.Common medical terminology mistakes (i.e. ureter vs. urethra, or para vs. peri) alert users to potential errors.Expanded definitions of commonly used diagnostic tests and procedures help users understand the clinical context for words and phrases.

Find out all you need to know about providing high-quality care to patients with serious illnesses from the 2nd edition of Palliative Care: Core Skills and Clinical Competencies. Drs. Linda L. Emanuel and S. Lawrence Librach, leaders in the field, address the clinical, physical, psychological, cultural, and spiritual dimensions that are integral to the care of the whole patient. They give you a broad understanding of the core clinical skills and competencies needed to effectively approach patient assessment, care of special populations, symptom control, ethical issues, and more. Clearly written in a user-friendly, high-yield format with convenient online access, this resource is your ultimate guidebook to the burgeoning practice of palliative medicine.Improve your pain management and symptom management skills with a better understanding of best practices in palliative care. Quickly review specific treatment protocols for both malignant and non-malignant illnesses, including HIV/AIDS, heart failure, renal failure, pulmonary disease, and neurodegenerative disease. Better understand and manage the common and unique challenges associated with delivering palliative care in various social settings, such as the ICU, hospice, and the home; and to diverse populations, such as children, elders, and vulnerable members of society.Expand your knowledge of palliative care issues with new chapters on Veterans, Special Populations, Prognostication, Delirium, Working with Families, Wound Care, Home Care, and Dealing with Economic Hardship. Find the information you need quickly and easily with a templated, high-yield format. Search the complete text online and access a drug formulary at www.expertconsult.com, along with billing and coding information. Emanuel and Librach provide a practical guide that covers all aspects of the palliative care spectrum

This handbook provides an easily navigable source of information about the day-to-day management of patients requiring palliative and hospice care. Succinct, evidence-based, topically focused content is supplemented by extensive tables and algorithms. The table of contents and balance of coverage follows the core curriculum of the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, thus meeting the educational and clinical information needs of students, residents, fellows, and nurse practitioners. An expert team of clinicians, led by world renowned Eduardo Bruera, address approach to care; psychosocial and spiritual issues; impending death; grief and bereavement; assessment and management of pain; management of non-pain symptoms such as nausea, dyspnea, depression, insomnia, and bleeding; communication and team work; and ethical and legal decision making.