Articles: palliative-care.
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The World Health Organization defines palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families through the prevention and relief of suffering by assessment and treatment of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual problems. Any patient with chronic debilitating disease, including heart failure, is a candidate for interdisciplinary palliative care to manage their complex physical and psychosocial needs. ⋯ This review addresses the principles and models of palliative care along with how to integrate these principles into all phases of the heart failure disease continuum. Also included are recommendations for palliation of symptoms specific to heart failure patients as well as a discussion of the role of the critical care nurse and the importance of shared decision-making.
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Older adults are a rapidly growing patient population with unique characteristics and health considerations. Over the past few years, emergency physicians have started to recognize the complexities and importance of Geriatric Emergency Medicine. Several noteworthy elements of their healthcare were brought to the forefront of emergency medicine because this especially vulnerable patient population was disproportionately affected by the pandemic. ⋯ We also highlight equally notable literature which address clinically challenging topics, such as hip fractures and syncope. Finally, articles about improving the experience of and decreasing recidivism in geriatric emergency department patients are reviewed. In short, this review article summarizes geriatric emergency medicine literature that can help you improve your practice while caring for older adults.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2021
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study"Song of Life": Results of a multicenter randomized trial on the effects of biographical music therapy in palliative care.
Awareness for the importance of psychological and spiritual needs in patients with terminal diseases has increased in recent years, but randomized trials on the effects of psychosocial interventions are still rare. ⋯ Our findings provide evidence that "Song of Life" is an effective and meaningful biographical music therapy intervention to facilitate psycho-spiritual integration in terminally ill patients.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2021
ReviewToward a socio-spiritual approach? A mixed-methods systematic review on the social and spiritual needs of patients in the palliative phase of their illness.
Patients express a variety of needs, some of which are labeled social and spiritual. Without an in-depth exploration of patients' expressions of these needs, it is difficult to differentiate between them and allocate appropriate healthcare interventions. ⋯ What literature labels as social and spiritual needs shows great similarities and overlap. Instead of distinguishing social from spiritual needs based on patients' linguistic expressions, needs should always be explored in-depth. We propose a socio-spiritual approach that honors and preserves the multidimensionality of patients' needs and enables interdisciplinary teamwork to allocate patient-tailored care.
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Objectives: Determine feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the Palliative Care Social Worker-led ALIGN (Assessing & Listening to Individual Goals and Needs) intervention in older persons admitted to Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) and their caregivers. Design: A pilot pragmatic randomized stepped wedge design of ALIGN versus usual care in three SNFs. Setting and Participants: One hundred and twenty older adults and caregivers (optional) with advanced medical illnesses. ⋯ Further research is warranted to understand effects on caregivers and health care utilization. The current model for SNF does not address the palliative care needs of patients. ALIGN has potential to be an effective, scalable, acceptable, and reproducible intervention to improve certain palliative care outcomes within subacute settings.