Irish Hospice Foundation
Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care
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Introduction End-of-life care is everyone’s business
is is the second edition of the Toolkit for Compassionate End-of-Life Care , which has been produced, amended and updated by Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF). We are a national charity that addresses dying, death and bereavement in Ireland, whether a death occurs in hospital, a nursing home or other residential setting, a hospice or at home. Our aim in developing this toolkit is to provide healthcare workers with information, guidance, language and resources that will support them in caring for those who are dying and their family and friends . We believe that end-of-life care is everyone’s business, and we hope that all healthcare workers, regardless of setting, will find value in this toolkit appropriate to their role. It has been divided into clear sections so that the reader can dip into the section that is most relevant to them at a point in time. We have tried to address issues that apply broadly to anticipated or expected deaths in adults, and have not focussed specifically on other deaths, such as death by suicide, sudden deaths, stillbirths, deaths in children and young people, or on other issues such as cultural considerations. Information on all of these and on many other issues around dying, death and bereavement is available on the IHF website: www.hospicefoundation.ie Medical management at end of life and other clinical or legal considerations are outside the scope of this publication, and guidance on these matters should be sought from appropriate colleagues and from other recognised sources who can offer expert advice and support. We hope this toolkit will support healthcare workers in their everyday interactions with patients, residents and their family and friends as they provide a compassionate, person-centred approach to end-of-life care. Important Note: Please note that this toolkit has been compiled by IHF to support those who are caring for patients and residents at end of life, and the views expressed are those of IHF. Neither IHF nor any person acting on its behalf can be held responsible for any use made on the information in this publication. It is not intended to replace medical or legal advice.
Introduction
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