Providing End of Life Care to Addicted People and Their Families

Synopsis

With this growing population comes an increased need to recognize the medical and psychological needs of older adults suffering from addiction, particularly towards the end of life. This guide describes the challenges such persons and families present to those providing end of life care, and shows caregivers how to best negotiate these issues with their clients and families.

Key features:

• Guides end of life care professionals on how to apply principles of addiction treatment in the context of end of life care
• Identifies the known markers of substance abuse and appropriate interventions
• Outlines current treatment approaches and options
• Applies "family systems" theory to end of life care

Table of Contents

• Preface
• Chapter One: Death and Addiction: A Family Affair
• Chapter Two: Addiction Treatment: What Every End of Life Care Professional Should Know
• Chapter Three: The Physiological, Psychological, and Spiritual Effects of Addiction
• Chapter Four: What Every Hospice Team Needs to Know about Family Systems Theory
• Chapter Five: Applying Family Systems to the End of Life Care of Addicted Persons and their Families
• Chapter Six: Applying Family Systems to the Bereavement Care of Addicts' Families
• Chapter Seven: Hospice Teams: Paths of Care
• Chapter Eight: Hospice Team Members with Histories of Addiction
• Chapter Nine: Conclusion: Using 12 Steps in End of Life Care