Journal of social work in end-of-life & palliative care
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2014
The grief experience of prison inmate hospice volunteer caregivers.
Correctional institutions are obligated to provide end-of-life care to a population with complex medical needs. Prison hospices are increasingly being formed to address this demand. ⋯ In this study, experiences of the inmate hospice volunteers with death were investigated to illuminate their grief processes. Understanding the bereavement needs of hospice volunteers and how prison hospice volunteers navigate grief and remain committed to providing excellent hospice care can inform the grief processes and practices of hospice care professionals.
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2014
Enhancing palliative care for low-income elders with chronic disease: feasibility of a hospice consultation model.
Challenges exist in assimilating palliative care within community-based services for nursing home eligible low-income elders with complex chronic illness as they approach the end of life (EOL). This study assessed the feasibility of a consultation model, with hospice clinicians working with three Care Wisconsin Partnership Program teams. ⋯ Benefits of consultation were identified with focus groups of clinical staff as were opportunities and barriers to the implementation. Models of integration are proposed.
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2014
Enhancing collaborative leadership in palliative social work in oncology.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report-Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs-provided recommendations for meeting the palliative care needs of our growing population of older Americans. The IOM report highlights the demand for social work leadership across all aspects of the health care delivery system. ⋯ This article highlights a sampling of palliative care projects initiated by outstanding oncology social work participants in the ExCEL program. These projects demonstrate the leadership of social workers in palliative care oncology.
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2014
Team-based volunteerism with the seriously ill: a qualitative analysis from 10 volunteers' perspectives.
Volunteers offer means through which social workers may extend their ability to support individuals with serious illnesses near the end of life. This study explored the experience of volunteers on teams organized initially as a grassroots movement in response to stigmatized and often socially isolated people with HIV/AIDS dying in the community. Volunteer care teams later expanded to individuals with other serious illnesses. ⋯ Qualitative inquiry, in the form of semi-structured interviews, explored perspectives of 10 volunteers with experience in volunteer team caring and identified the social processes that shaped their work. The volunteers discussed balance between positive life meaning gained from volunteer work, lessons learned, and negative aspects of a volunteer team approach to caring for the seriously ill in the community. Further investigation is warranted to validate the volunteer care team approach as a cost-effective tool to help seriously ill individuals and caregivers.