Journal of palliative medicine
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Informal care provided by family members is an essential feature of health care systems worldwide. Although caregiving often begins early in the disease process, over time informal caregivers must deal with chronic, debilitating, and life-threatening illnesses. Despite thousands of published studies on informal care, little is known about the intersection of informal caregiving and formal palliative care. ⋯ Inasmuch as most caregivers must deal with chronic, debilitating, and often life-threatening conditions, it is essential that we advance a research agenda that addresses the interplay between informal care and formal palliative care.
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Editorial Comment
Do we really want to grow the field of palliative medicine?
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The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of community residence (CR) staff who have cared for older adults with developmental disabilities (ADDs) that are at the end of life. ⋯ The results provided insight into the unique needs of older ADDs at the end of life and how this influences their care. Emphasis was also placed on the importance of specialized care that involved collaborations with hospice for older ADDs who remain in a CR at the end of life.
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Teamwork is a standard of care in palliative care and that is emphasized by leading organizations. When interdisciplinary teams communicate their varied assessments, outcomes may be more than additive due to the synthesis of information. Interprofessionality does not guarantee multidimensionality in health care interventions, however, and that interprofessional teams promote collaboration may be questioned. ⋯ Communication and communication patterns within the team create the feeling of being a team. Team climate and team performance are significantly impacted by knowledge and trust of competence in colleagues, with other professions, and by the available leadership. Proportions of different health professionals in the team have an impact on the focus and delivery of care. Interprofessional education giving clarity on one's own professional role and knowledge of other professions would most likely benefit patients and family caregivers.