Resource Center

Morbidity and mortality associated with bereavement is an important public health issue, yet economic and resource investments to effectively implement and sustain integrated bereavement services are sorely lacking at national and global levels. Although bereavement support is a component of palliative care provision, continuity of care for bereaved individuals is often not standard practice in palliative and end-of-life contexts.

This activity reviews the evaluation of pain and palliative care in a culturally sensitive manner. It highlights the role of the interprofessional team in the management of pain and palliation in this setting.

Abstract: Nonreligious people are underrepresented in the literature guiding end-of-life care. Moreover, much of what is written about nonreligious patients is written from a religious perspective. To address this deficit, the author conducted descriptive research by surveying online social media group participants using a quantitative questionnaire and qualitative feedback (N=263).  

The 2023 Association of Feline Practitioners and the International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (AAFP/IAAHPC) Feline Hospice and Palliative Care Guidelines’ are authored by a Task Force of experts in feline hospice and palliative care convened by the AAFP and IAAHPC.

Abstract: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals experience discrimination throughout the care continuum, including during serious illness and at end of life. High-quality palliative care requires that health professionals deliver individualized services that reflect the needs, experiences, and preferences of LGBTQ+ persons. Its aim is to identify and appraise existing evidence related to the needs, experiences, and preferences for palliative and end of life care among LGBTQ+ individuals with serious illness.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the religious/spiritual beliefs of followers of the five major world religions about frequently encountered medical situations at the end of life (EoL). 

This set of competencies is designed for graduating medical students, and acts as minimum set of geriatric competency standards for first-year residents. The competencies are based on accepted standards of evidence-based geriatric care and contain the following domains: medication management; self-care capacity; falls, balance and gait disorders; hospital care for elders; cognitive and behavioral disorders; atypical presentation of disease; health care planning and promotion; and palliative care.

This is a research article written by Melissa L. O'Connor and Susan H. McFadden.

Despite increasing information on enhancing client communication and compliance/adherence in veterinary medicine, literature focusing on special cases remains limited: working with clients with special needs, challenges or disabilities, or when the patient is an assistance or emotional support animal. This paper summarizes current recommendations on how best to build successful working relationships with these clients, including action items to implement in practice. In addition, this paper reviews current literature on important considerations for care of assistance dogs as patients.

This article provides a review of research published since 1980 on the benefits of human–companion animal interaction. Studies focusing on the benefits of pet ownership are presented first, followed by research on the benefits of interacting with companion animals that are not owned by the subject (animal-assisted activities). While most of the published studies are descriptive and have been conducted with convenience samples, a promising number of controlled studies support the health benefits of interacting with companion animals.