Cicely Saunders

centered care that aims to maximize their quality of life. (Elizabeth K. Vig, 2012). The modern history of Hospice had exponential growth of Western medical science in a society that was paradoxically denying the inevitability of death provided the setting for Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and Cicely Saunders to make their extraordinary contributions to hospice care. (Forman and Kitzes, et. 2003). Cicely Saunders, on the basis of her remarkable preparation, was able to understand the complex interdisciplinary needs of cancer patients and formulate the following principles: • Death must be accepted • The patient’s total care must be managed by a skilled interdisciplinary team whose members communicate regularly with one another. • The common symptoms of terminal disease, especially the palliation of pain in all its aspects, need to be effectively controlled. • The patient and family as a single unit of care must be recognized. • An active home-care program should be implemented. • An active program of bereavement care for the family after the death of the patient must be provided. • Research and education should be ongoing During the same period in which Saunders was doing her creative work in Great Britain, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross spent time in the United States interviewing dying patients. As a psychiatrist, she had found it very hard to find patients to interview because most physicians and nurses thought her interest was morbid. After persisting,…

Education Does Not Determine Success We are born, we live, and then ultimately, we die. Cindy Lee, age 56, knows this all too well. She is the owner and founder of Heart 'n Home Hospice & Palliative Care LLC whose mission statement is to, “optimize the quality of life for individuals in the final stages of terminal illness.” Hospice care is designed to give terminally ill patients in their final stages quality of life. Hospice does not try to find a cure, but rather to make the…

Hospice is type of palliative care where the goal is to comfort those who have a certain amount of time left, Hospice was first introduced to the United States in the 1970s. The goal is to make sure the person’s quality of life is at the best it can while managing the symptoms of their condition. (Hospicevallley 2016). During the 1970s hospice care was mostly for adult cancer patients, but now it is available to other illnesses and various ages. Such illnesses are, for example, lung disease,…

Objectives Upon completion of this power point presentation, the participants should be able to: Define the meaning of end of life care Determine the global challenges and innovation of end of life care Discuss the importance of advance directives and planning Distinguish palliative care from hospice care Identify the global role of physical therapy in addressing end of life care End of Life Care This sensitive subject, although heart wrenching, is vital to all decision makers to know…

Take Heart – At Hospice This April John Smith, a volunteer with Hospice was chosen to receive the June Callwood Award. This award was established by Hospice Palliative Care Ontario to acknowledge and thank outstanding hospice volunteers throughout Ontario. The award was named in honour of Ms. Callwood, a Canadian journalist, author and social activist who was a long-time advocate of hospice. John Smith joined the Hastings team of volunteers in 2012, her interest stemming from the desire that…

Palliative medicine and Hospice care have become increasingly important in the age of modern medicine. That said the transition to hospice care could be a confusing, emotional, experience for both the patient and the caregiver. There has become increasing awareness of this issue, which is evident in the amount of hospital readmissions of hospice patients. Researchers addressed this issue with an article titled “Rehospitalization of Older Adults Discharged to Home Hospice Care,” (Goldenheim et…

I really enjoyed Hospice, and I haven’t been anywhere else but I have sense that it’ll be my favorite. Main reason being that Judy was amazing. She really showed me what Hospice is about and never treated her patients like they were a number. She took time to hear their complaints, or what was going on in their life which is definitely a sign of a great nurse. 1. Identify the purpose and functions of the agency. The hospice philosophy of care means providing comfort measures to…

Goal #1: Relate your goal to the competencies indicated under each standard. I want to build on my pre-existing knowledge from past classes to develop my own principles of hospice palliative care that correlate with me to incorporate it in my practice. Measurable Outcome (s): (How will you and others know when you have reached your goal?) This is measurable by creating my own principles of hospice palliative care by completing the strategies I have listed. I will seek for feedback from my…

As a critical care nurse it is important to take into consideration the patient and family's cultural and spiritual beliefs. Taking into consideration such beliefs helps the nurse gain better understanding on how to go about the treatment process. This is essential because the nurse plays a vital role in the care of the patient and family. A strong relationship between the nurse, patient, and family alleviates the stress and helps facilitate the bereavement process during end of life care. Some…

Support for Home Care at the End of Life There is no right place to die, but we can help those who want to die in the comfort of their own homes. In the past dying in the hospital at the end of life was normal, but these days many patients are choosing go home at the end of life. There are many options to end of life care and there are different facilities that patient’s live at long-term. Some of these places include nursing facilities, assisted living homes, independent living or even in…