A comprehensive analysis of ethical topics in palliative care, combining clinical experience and philosophical rigor. A broad array of topics are explored from historical, legal, clinical, and ethical perspectives, offering both the seasoned clinician and interested lay reader a thorough examination of the complex ethical issues facing patients suffering from life-threatening illness

"An innovative approach to caring for the terminally ill patient, A palliative ethic of care provides deeper insights into why end-of-life care is so challenging and suggests how to improve the care of the dying" -- Back cover.

Symptom control, management of psychosocial and spiritual concerns, decision-making consistent with values and goals, and care of the imminently dying that is appropriate and sensitive are among the critical issues in palliative care. This book explores progress made and future goals.

Law, Palliative Care and Dying critically examines the role of the legal framework in shaping the boundaries of palliative care practice. The work underlines the importance of a distinct legal framework for specialist palliative care which can provide clarity for both the healthcare professional and the patient. It examines the legal and ethical justifications for specialist palliative care practices and, in doing so, it questions the legitimacy of the distinction between euthanasia and practices such as palliative sedation. Moreover, this work discusses the influence of a human rights discourse on palliative care and examines the contribution of autonomy, dignity, and the right to palliative care. This book includes detailed comparative research on several European jurisdictions. The jurisdictions illustrate varied approaches to palliative care regulation and promotion. In this manner, the role of professional guidelines and legislation are drawn out and common themes in the regulation of palliative care emerge.

Ethics in Hospice Care: Challenges to Hospice Values in a Changing Health Care Environment explores the pressures and challenges facing hospice and aims to produce new studies and educational materials on hospice ethics to help professionals in the field. Many of the tensions felt by caregivers and practitioners in hospice stem from uncertainty about the ethical mission of hospice and the ethical dilemmas arising in practice. This volume, a result of The Hastings Center and the Hospice Foundation of America’s project on Ethical and Policy Issues in Hospice Care, addresses these issues in a clear, accessible way. Ethics in Hospice Care outlines the economic, social, and cultural challenges facing hospice care in a changing society and a changing health care environment. Issues of concern include: financial pressures as policymakers limit Medicare spending organizational pressures as hospice organizations enter a variety of new relationships with managed care organizations, home health agencies, and hospitals cultural and social challenges as Americans wrestle with moral and legal issues of death and dying and physician-assisted suicide the rapid and unplanned growth of the movement--from a single hospice in 1973 to over 2500 today While primarily for practicing hospice professionals, Ethics in Hospice Care is vital reading for everyone concerned with assisted suicide, patients’rights, quality of life, managed care, physician referral, professional development, pain management, quality of care, and ethics committees.

The death of a child is a special sorrow. No matter the circumstances, a child's death is a life-altering experience. Except for the child who dies suddenly and without forewarning, physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel usually play a central role in the lives of children who die and their families. At best, these professionals will exemplify "medicine with a heart." At worst, families' encounters with the health care system will leave them with enduring painful memories, anger, and regrets. When Children Die examines what we know about the needs of these children and their families, the extent to which such needs areâ€"and are notâ€"being met, and what can be done to provide more competent, compassionate, and consistent care. The book offers recommendations for involving child patients in treatment decisions, communicating with parents, strengthening the organization and delivery of services, developing support programs for bereaved families, improving public and private insurance, training health professionals, and more. It argues that taking these steps will improve the care of children who survive as well as those who do notâ€"and will likewise help all families who suffer with their seriously ill or injured child. Featuring illustrative case histories, the book discusses patterns of childhood death and explores the basic elements of physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical care for children and families experiencing a child's life-threatening illness or injury.

The practice of palliative care and hospice is filled with overt and sometimes covert ethical challenges. These challenges are addressed by leading international palliative care and hospice scholars under three main domains: care delivery systems; addressing the many dimensions of suffering; and difficult decisions near the end of life.