Social work in end-of-life and palliative care

Dying is a social experience, changing irrevocably the family and social networks around each individual who dies. Older people are a growing proportion of the population and need help to think and plan to make positive choices about this important phase of their life. Social work should help to strengthen individuals and families to achieve a respectful death and to move forward in their lives. This valuable book focuses on practice interventions, advocating open communication and skilled interpersonal practice to help dying and bereaved people, their families and carers. The authors review sociological and psychological ideas about dying and bereavement, incorporating spiritual care, multi-professional practice and ethical issues likely to face social workers in end-of-life and palliative care. Important features include: a demonstration of the importance of the social work role in palliative care; a firm knowledge base for social work practice with dying and bereaved people in both end-of-life and palliative care; a strong focus on social processes as well as psychological and emotional responses to death and bereavement; extended case examples help to develop practice skills fully; 'pause and reflect' sections help students and practitioners think through their own reactions to practice with people who are dying and bereaved; exploration of group and community interventions in end-of-life care; and, an international focus, with useful further reading and website information. This book will be essential reading for students, health care workers and social workers and their managers who are working in adult services, end of life and palliative care.