The American journal of hospice & palliative care
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Aug 2009
Patient perceptions on the use of advance directives and life prolonging technology.
Use of advance directives is underutilized despite the Patient Self Determination Act of 1990. This study was undertaken to determine use and opinions of advance directives by patients at a multidisciplinary. ⋯ While adequately describing use and attitudes toward advance directives, it is significant to note that patients believe their wishes for end-of-life care will be honored; however, they fail to take the necessary steps to guarantee this.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Aug 2009
Managing grief and relationship roles influence which forms of social support the bereaved needs.
Social support is important during the bereavement period and influences which form of social support the grieving person needs. This study shows 2 different strategies for coping with grief which also revealed which form of social support the grieving persons needed depend on what they found difficult to manage. The coping strategies are called grief management and involve different strategies and the roles in the relationship with the diseased. Systematically monitoring the bereaved makes it possible to understand the strategies they use in the grieving process and to identify when these strategies are insufficient so professional support can be offered.
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Am J Hosp Palliat Care · Aug 2009
Multidisciplinary family meetings in the ICU facilitate end-of-life decision making.
The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of establishing a multi-disciplinary family meeting (MDFM) program and the impact of such a program on the end-of-life decision making in the setting of an ICU. ⋯ Proactive MDFM's improve communication and understanding between patients' family and the treating team and facilitates end-of-life decision making.