Journal of palliative medicine
-
Objectives: To describe the delivery of palliative care by primary providers (PP) and specialist providers (SP) to hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: PP and SP completed interviews about their experiences providing palliative care. Results were analyzed using thematic analysis. ⋯ Supporting family: both groups indicated difficulties engaging families due to visitor restrictions; SP also outlined challenges in managing family grief and need to advocate for family at the bedside. Care coordination: internist PP and SP described difficulties supporting those leaving the hospital. Conclusion: PP and SP may have a different approach to care, which may affect consistency and quality of care.
-
In palliative care, many end-of-life (EOL) patients are physically dependent on their caregivers. These patients may also have difficulty expressing their needs because of their underlying disease and are vulnerable to abuse. ⋯ In this case discussion, we highlight a woman with advanced dementia who was subjected to FDIA. We discuss the impact of FDIA on EOL care and the management of FDIA in palliative care.
-
Sometimes dying patients teach us things that apply across the entirety of the life cycle. There is a significant literature indicating that some patients toward end of life covet an earlier, or hastened, death. ⋯ This idea describes a state of brokenness, causing people to feel they are no longer the person they once were, and that the person they have become is no longer worthy of living. This article explores the idea of fractioned personhood, and how this concept might inform our understanding of self-harm and suicide within the general population.