Journal of social work in end-of-life & palliative care
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2005
Social work competencies in palliative and end-of-life care.
Social workers from clinical, academic, and research settings met in 2002 for a national Social Work Leadership Summit on Palliative and End-of-Life Care. Participants placed the highest priority on the development and broad dissemination of a summary document of the state-of-the-art practice of social work in palliative and end-of-life care. ⋯ This comprehensive statement delineates individual, family, group, team, community, and organizational interventions that extend across settings, cultures, and populations and encompasses advocacy, education, training, clinical practice, community organization, administration, supervision, policy, and research. This document is intended to guide preparation and credentialing of professional social workers, to assist interdisciplinary colleagues in their collaboration with social workers, and to provide the background for the testing of quality indicators and "best practice" social work interventions.
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2005
Case ReportsFacilitating forgiveness and peaceful closure: the therapeutic value of psychosocial intervention in end-of-life care.
The importance of addressing psychosocial concerns with dying patients is pivotal to facilitating peaceful closure in end of- life care. The social worker's role in recognizing and providing skilled, psychosocial intervention with patients and families in hospice programs is significant. ⋯ The case offers social work knowledge and skills and demonstrates the therapeutic benefit of addressing psychosocial needs in end-of-life care. The importance of targeted training and continued skill development for social workers in end-of-life treatment settings is emphasized.
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Research on hospice use by Latinos, although increasing since the late 1990s, remains sparse. This article presents a review of the recent available literature on this topic within the past 15 years. The main aspects discussed are access to hospice care and various factors that researchers suggest affect Latino utilization of hospice care. ⋯ No evidence exists to indicate that Latinos are dissatisfied with services once they receive them. Also, no evidence exists to indicate they want services but cannot obtain them. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2005
Comparative StudyHome-based palliative care study: site of death, and costs of medical care for patients with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancer.
To examine differences in site of death and costs of services by primary diagnosis for patients receiving home-based palliative care as compared to usual care at the end of life. ⋯ Provision of interdisciplinary home-based palliative care at end of life can effectively increase the likelihood of dying at home for patients with CHF, COPD, and cancer while realizing significant cost savings.
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2005
Comparative StudyBeliefs, death, anxiety, denial, and treatment preferences in end-of-life care: a comparison of social work students, community residents, and medical students.
This study examined cultural and religious beliefs, death anxiety, denial, and medical treatment preferences in end-of-life care in a sample of social work students, community residents, and medical students in a mid-western city of 49,000. Results indicated that most social work students, community residents, and medical students preferred palliative as opposed to life-prolonging care during terminal illness. ⋯ Students reported less denial of terminality than community residents. Implications for personal and professional preparation to provide end-of-life care are discussed.