International Perspectives on Public Health and Palliative Care

Public health approaches to palliative care have been growing in policy importance and practice acceptance. This innovative volume explores the major concepts, practice examples, and practice guidelines for this new approach. The goal of 'comprehensive care' - seamless support for patients as they transition between home based care and inpatient services - relies on the principles of health promotion and community development both to ensure services are available and importantly appropriate for patients' needs. In developing contexts, where hospitals and hospices may be inaccessible, a public health approach provides not only continuity of care but greater access to good end of life care. This book provides both a historical and conceptual overview whilst offering practical case examples from affluent and developing contexts, in a range of clinical settings. Finally, it draws together research-based guidelines for future practice. Essential reading for public health researchers and practitioners with an interest in end of life care and global health as well as those involved in developing palliative care provision, International Perspectives on Public Health and Palliative Care is the first volume to present an overview of theory and practice in this emerging field.

Libby Sallnow is a palliative medicine registrar at St Joseph's Hospice, London and is the Research Associate at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Participation in Palliative Care and Long Term Care, Kerala. Suresh Kumar is currently the Director of the WHO Collaborating Center for Community Participation in Palliative Care and Long Term Care. Allan Kellehear is Professor, School of Health Administration, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was formerly the Professor of Palliative Care at La Trobe University and was director of Australia's first policy and practice palliative care unit in a school of public health.

Chapter 1: Public Health and Palliative Care: An Historical Overview Chapter 2: "But we're already doing it!": Examining conceptual blurring between health promotion and palliative care Chapter 3: Illness trajectories and palliative care: implications for holistic service provision Chapter 4: Public health and palliative care in Australia Chapter 5: Public Health and Palliative Care: A perspective from Africa Chapter 6: Public health developments in palliative care services in the UK Chapter 7: Public Health approach to Palliative Care - Neighbourhood Network in Palliative Care Program in Kerala Chapter 8: St. Joseph's Hospice, London, UK - a practice example Chapter 9: The Campaign to Build a Dementia-Friendly Community Chapter 10: 'Let's talk about dying' - dispelling myths towards the end of life Chapter 11: Discovering Options: An Australian Initiative in the Care of the Dying Chapter 12: Public Health Approaches to End of Life in Ecuador Appendix 1: National Palliative Care Policy, Kerala Appendix 2: Charter for the normalization of death, dying and loss Appendix 3: Practice Guidelines for Health Promoting Palliative Care, La Trobe University Appendix 4: Neighbourhood Network in Palliative Care Practice Guidelines NNPC, Kerala Appendix 5: NHS Lothian's integrated model of Palliative and End of Life care Appendix 6: HOME Hospice questionnaire