Journal of palliative medicine
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Quality of care provided by hospice and palliative care agencies depends on a thorough understanding of the patient, the family, their history, and current risk factors. It is therefore imperative for social workers and other providers in these settings to assess patients and caregivers for substance use disorders and potential for substance misuse. ⋯ We recommend that hospice care providers implement structured substance use screening focused on both the patients and family. To stem the public health impact of prescription opioid misuse, we recommend adoption of structured screening instruments to evaluate drug diversion risk.
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Living at home is an important factor for maintaining high quality of life among patients. Many studies have discussed parameters associated with place of death, but no studies have yet clarified which factors influence the length of stay at home during the end of life. ⋯ The most influential factor for length of stay at home in the final month of life was a history of OPCS. Many patients with advanced cancer who receive chemotherapy without OPCS spend time as inpatients after an initial period at home. Palliative care interventions for outpatients effectively enable patients with advanced cancer to adapt and continue living at home.