Introduction and Scope of the Problem Cystic fibrosis (CF), one of the most common life-limiting genetic disorders, affects more than 70,000 individuals worldwide and their families. Although most prevalent among those of Caucasian descent, CF affects people of all races…
Perinatal palliative care and perinatal hospice work is a unique facet of care of the maternal–fetal dyad and of brand-new families. These parents have rarely had relevant life experiences to prepare them for the possibility that their infant may die…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Among children with serious illness, those with developmental disabilities represent a large cohort whose care requires special consideration. Developmental abilities are traditionally assessed for all children in four primary categories: gross motor, fine motor,…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Dosing palliative care medications for pediatric populations is an evolving methodology that continues to change and adapt with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic knowledge. It is well understood that children and adolescents should not be…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Care for children with serious illness and their families is an essential part of palliative care. Often children with serious illness have chronic or life-limiting medical conditions with complex symptom management and communication needs.…
Acknowledgments We would like to thank Suzy Goldhirsch, MA, MsEd, for contributions to editing and reviewing the text. Introduction and Scope of the Problem Multimorbidity and frailty are two concepts utilized increasingly by clinicians to evaluate the risk profile of…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem The U.S. population of “older adults,” generally defined as those aged 65 years or older, increased by 35% from 2008 to 2018. By 2040, it is projected that this number will increase to 80.8…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Over 15 million Americans live with serious respiratory illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). They suffer from progressively debilitating physical and emotional symptoms and an unpredictable illness…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Questioning which patients with end-stage kidney disease should be offered dialysis dates to the early 1960s, when dialysis was first invented. At that time, ethical considerations pertained to the distribution of limited dialysis-related resources.…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Some degree of reduced kidney function is common in both the general population and people with have other serious illnesses. Chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as the presence of either kidney damage or decreased…