Journal of social work in end-of-life & palliative care
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J Soc Work End Life Palliat Care · Jan 2007
ReviewPalliative sedation: an essential place for clinical excellence.
The complexities that converge around palliative sedation invite clinicians to work together to differentiate the issues and come to recommendations and decisions that are humane, ethical, legal, and clinically sound. Whether a crisis or long-term situation exists, the work is essentially the same. It must include critical thinking, clinical expertise, multidimensional assessment, and an array of interventions to assist patients and families in situations where symptoms and suffering are sufficiently intense to warrant exploration of sedation. The many issues inherent in the discussion of sedation at end of life require not that we have the answers but rather that we work with our colleagues to raise relevant questions and integrate both expertise and compassion into end-of-life decisions and care.
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Research on hospice use by Latinos, although increasing since the late 1990s, remains sparse. This article presents a review of the recent available literature on this topic within the past 15 years. The main aspects discussed are access to hospice care and various factors that researchers suggest affect Latino utilization of hospice care. ⋯ No evidence exists to indicate that Latinos are dissatisfied with services once they receive them. Also, no evidence exists to indicate they want services but cannot obtain them. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.