COMPREHENSIVE PALLIATIVE CARE: Clinical Assessment, Symptom Management, Communication, Psychosocial Support, and End-of-Life Care

A practical, compassionate guide to delivering high-quality palliative and end-of-life careComprehensive Palliative Care provides a clear, clinically focused approach to caring for patients with serious, progressive, and life-limiting illnesses. It brings together symptom assessment, treatment planning, communication, psychosocial support, ethical decision-making, and end-of-life care in one accessible reference.Designed for healthcare professionals across multiple specialties, this book explains how to evaluate complex patient needs, relieve distressing symptoms, support families, and preserve dignity throughout the course of illness.Key topics include: - Principles and models of palliative care - Comprehensive physical, psychological, social, and spiritual assessment - Pain evaluation and evidence-based pain management - Management of nausea, breathlessness, fatigue, delirium, constipation, anxiety, and other common symptoms - Communication of serious diagnoses and prognosis - Shared decision-making and advance care planning - Goals-of-care discussions and treatment limitation - Psychosocial, emotional, cultural, and spiritual support - Family meetings and caregiver support - Palliative care in cancer and nonmalignant disease - Care of older adults and patients with complex chronic illness - Ethical and legal issues in end-of-life care - Care during the final days and hours of life - Bereavement support and professional self-care - Interdisciplinary teamwork and quality improvementThe book emphasizes patient-centered care, individualized clinical judgment, effective communication, and collaboration among physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, psychologists, chaplains, and other members of the healthcare team.Suitable for palliative care specialists, physicians, nurses, residents, medical students, hospice professionals, social workers, and allied health practitioners, Comprehensive Palliative Care serves as both a clinical reference and a practical learning resource.An essential guide for relieving suffering, supporting families, and providing compassionate care through every stage of serious illness.