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Challenges Providing End-of-Life Care in Prisons and Jails  


Author:  Catherine M. Knox, M.N., R.N., C.C.H.P.-R.N.


Source: Volume 19, Number 06, September/October 2018 , pp.89-91(3)




Correctional Health Care Report

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Abstract: 

The first prison-based hospice was established in the United States in the late 1980’s. Since then more than 60 hospice programs are in place in prisons and jails across the country. This article surveys some of the most important and beneficial practices found in the best-run correctional hospice programs, including assisting patients with activities of daily living (ADLs), skilled clinical management of pain, modification of the physical environment to increase comfort and maintain dietary requirements, companionship and spiritual support, and bereavement services for patients, family, and other inmates. The author also addresses ways to deal with the inherent conflict between the priorities of patient care and ensuring security.

Keywords: Hospice Care

Affiliations:  1: Nurse Consultant.

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