Main description:

This comprehensive guide thoroughly covers all aspects of neuropalliative care, from symptom-specific considerations, to improving communication between clinicians, patients and families. Neuropalliative Care: A Guide to Improving the Lives of Patients and Families Affected by Neurologic Disease addresses clinical considerations for diseases such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, and severe acute brain injury, as well discussing the other challenges facing palliative care patients that are not currently sufficiently met under current models of care. This includes methods of effective communication, supporting the caregiver, how to make difficult treatment decisions in the face of uncertainty, managing grief, guilt and anger, and treating the pain itself. Written by leaders in the field of neuropalliative care, this book is an exceptional, well-rounded resource of neuropalliative care, serving as a reference for all clinicians caring for patients with neurological disease and their families: neurologists and palliative care specialists, physicians, nurses, chaplains, social workers, as well as trainees in these areas.

Contents:

Chapter 1. Neuropalliative Care - Introduction

Section I: Disease and Symptom-Specific Considerations

Chapter 2. Severe Acute Brain Injury

Chapter 3. Prolonged Coma and Early Disorders of Consciousness

Chapter 4. Chronic Disorders of Consciousness

Chapter 5. Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders

Chapter 6. Dementia

Chapter 7. Multiple Sclerosis

Chapter 8. Neuromuscular Diseases

Chapter 9. Malignant Brain Tumors

Chapter 10. Child Neurology

Section II: Improving Communication and Treatment Decisions

Chapter 11. Communicating Effectively

Chapter 12. Prognostication

Chapter 13. Improving Medical Decisions

Chapter 14. Addressing and Managing Requests to Hasten Death

Chapter 15. Withholding and Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatments

Section III: Crosscutting Issues in Palliative Care

Chapter 16. Hospice and End of Life Care in Neurologic Disease

Chapter 17. Pain Assessment and Management

Chapter 18. Spiritual Care

Chapter 19. Clinician Self-Care

Chapter 20. Caregiver Assessment and Support

Chapter 21. Practical Implementation Strategies for Outpatient Neurology Palliative Care

Chapter 22. The Future of Neuropalliative Care