This text is the definitive resource for practicing palliative social work clinicians. It is designed to meet the needs of professionals who seek to provide culturally sensitive biopsychosocial-spiritual care for patients and families living with life-threatening illness.

"It is so important to advocate for things that may not always seem possible. Getting to work with patients/families at the end of their life is the ultimate honor." - Lauren G Markham, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C "In this work, one witnesses both depths of human suffering and heights of human transcendence that can inspire both awe and fear. At those times, I have found that surrendering my need to be "an expert" and instead, allow myself to simply be a "human" is the wisest action." - Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW"--

"It is so important to advocate for things that may not always seem possible. Getting to work with patients/families at the end of their life is the ultimate honor." - Lauren G Markham, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C "In this work, one witnesses both depths of human suffering and heights of human transcendence that can inspire both awe and fear. At those times, I have found that surrendering my need to be "an expert" and instead, allow myself to simply be a "human" is the wisest action." - Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW"--

"It is so important to advocate for things that may not always seem possible. Getting to work with patients/families at the end of their life is the ultimate honor." - Lauren G Markham, MSW, LCSW, APHSW-C "In this work, one witnesses both depths of human suffering and heights of human transcendence that can inspire both awe and fear. At those times, I have found that surrendering my need to be "an expert" and instead, allow myself to simply be a "human" is the wisest action." - Kerry Irish, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW"--

This Second Edition of the Handbook addresses the evolving interdisciplinary health care context and the broader social work practice environment, as well as advances in the knowledge base which guides social work service delivery in health and aging. This includes recent enhancements in the theories of gerontology, innovations in clinical interventions, and major developments in the social policies that structure and finance health care and senior services. In addition, the policy reforms of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act set in motion a host of changes in the United States healthcare system with potentially profound implications for the programs and services which provide care to older adults and their families. In this volume, the most experienced and prominent gerontological health care scholars address a variety of populations that social workers serve, and the arenas in which they practice, followed by detailed recommendations of best practices for an array of physical and mental health conditions. The volume's unprecedented attention to diversity, health care trends, and implications for practice, research, policy make the publication a major event in the field of gerontological social work. This is a Must-Read for all social work social work educators, practitioners, and students interested in older adults and their families.

Accessible and instructive,ÂPalliative CareÂguides and inspires health social workers to incorporate palliative care principles into their current clinical practice. Through the lenses of environmental theory and intersectionality, rich case narratives highlight opportunities for social workers to enhance their work, advancing whole-person care in the face of serious illness. Chapters include questions to concretize ideas and demonstrate real-world application, while case narratives cover a range of settings, diagnoses, and populations. This book is a useful tool for educators, learners, and practicing social workers working with individuals and families navigating complex health care systems.

The Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing remains the most comprehensive treatise on the art and science of palliative care nursing available. Dr. Betty Rolling Ferrell and Dr. Judith A. Paice have invited 162 nursing experts to contribute 76 chapters addressing the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs pertinent to the successful palliative care team. Organized within 7 Sections, this new edition covers the gamut of principles of care: from the time of initial diagnosis of a serious illness to the end of a patient's life and beyond. This fifth edition features several new chapters, including chapters on advance care planning, organ donation, self-care, global palliative care, and the ethos of palliative nursing. Each chapter is rich with tables and figures, case examples for improved learning, and a strong evidence-based practice to support the highest quality of care. The book offers a valuable and practical resource for students and clinicians across all settings of care. The content is relevant for specialty hospice agencies and palliative care programs, as well as generalist knowledge for schools of nursing, oncology, critical care, and pediatric. Developed with the intention of emphasizing the need to extend palliative care beyond the specialty to be integrated in all settings and by all clinicians caring for the seriously ill, this new edition will continue to serve as the cornerstone of palliative care education.

Death, dying, loss, and care giving are not just medical issues, but societal ones. Palliative care has become increasingly professionalised, focused around symptom science. With this emphasis on minimizing the harms of physical, psychological, and spiritual stress, there has been a loss of how cultures and communities look after their dying, with the wider social experience of death often sidelined in the professionalisation and medicalisation of care. However, the people we know and love in the places we know and love make up what matters most for those undergoing the experiences of death, loss, and care giving. Over the last 25 years the theory, practice, research evidence base, and clinical applications have developed, generating widespread adoption of the principles of public health approaches to palliative care. The essential principles of prevention, harm reduction, early intervention, and health and wellbeing promotion can be applied to the universal experience of end of life, irrespective of disease or diagnosis. Compassionate communities have become a routine part of the strategy and service development in palliative care, both within the UK and internationally. The Oxford Textbook of Public Health Palliative Care provides a reframing of palliative care, bringing together the full scope of theory, practice, and evidence into one volume. Written by international leaders in the field, it provides the first truly comprehensive and authoritative textbook on the subject that will help to further inform developments in this growing specialty.

TheOxford Textbook of Palliative Medicineis the most comprehensive work existing on the rapidly developing specialty of care for the dying. Written by over 100 leading experts from Europe and North America, this is the first text to bring together research and practice. It provides comprehensive coverage of the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of palliative care. Throughout the book emphasis is placed on an interdisciplinary, team approach to care and the involvement of the family. Introductory chapters consider the challenge presented by palliative medicine and discuss the historical development and the future of the specialty, cultural aspects of dying, models of care provision, and aspects of communication with patients. Following sections examine the scientific principles underlying the subject, and offer a thorough review of the current status of research in the field. Comprehensive and up-to-date guidance is given on the management of pain and other problems with the dying. As well as emphasizing the emotional, social, and psychological needs of the dying, the book considers the needs of the family and discusses bereavement, support and involvement of relatives, and home. Other chapters cover ethical aspects of care, rehabilitation, and the education and training of health professionals. Specific chapters are devoted to children and those dying of AIDS. TheOxford Textbook of Palliative Medicineis unique in its broad-reaching, scientific, and humane coverage of the specialty, and in its emphasis upon the interdisciplinary team approach. It will become established as the definitive guide to the care of the dying, and will be an indispensable reference for all those involved with the terminally ill, from specialists in palliative care, oncologists, and geriatricians to nurses, hospice staff, and counselors.

The importance of palliative care for children facing life threatening illness and their families is now widely acknowledged as an essential part of care, which should be available to all children and families, throughout the child's illness and at the end of life. The new edition of the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Care for Children brings together the most up to date information, current knowledge, evidence, and developments of clinical practice in the field. The book is structured into four sections. 'Foundations of Care' describes core issues, the foundations on which paediatric palliative care is based. 'Child and Family Care' looks at different aspects of psychological, social, and cultural care for the sick child or young person, and their family. These chapters cover the time course of the illness, around the time of death and support for the bereaved family. 'Symptom Care' focuses on the uses of medication, specific symptoms, and their management. Finally, 'Delivery of Care' examines practical approaches to care in different environments and the needs of clinicians. Two new editors join the team from Canada and South Africa, reflecting our aims to contribute towards the development of care for children across the world, and to be a resource for both experienced clinicians and those new to the field. Comprehensive in scope, exhaustive in detail, and definitive in authority, this third edition has been thoroughly updated to cover new practices, current epidemiological data, and the evolving models that support the delivery of palliative medicine to children. This includes two new chapters, looking in detail at 'Decision Making' and 'Perinatal Care', and a new section highlighting the emerging importance of 'Palliative Care for Children in Humanitarian Crises'. This book is an essential resource for anyone who works with children worldwide.