Jeffrey P Harrison
University of North Florida, USA
Title: Hospice and palliative care: A partnership across the continuum of care
Biography
Biography: Jeffrey P Harrison
Abstract
In the United States, the population aged 65 or older is projected to increase from 12.4% in 2000 to 19.6% in 2030, or from 35 million to 71 million people. Additionally, those aged 80 or older is expected to increase from 9.3 million in 2000 to 19.5 million in 2030. These growing elderly populations frequently have multiple chronic diseases and will participate in end-of life programs. Hospice and other palliative care providers have multidisciplinary teams working together to provide care. The goals of palliative care are to improve the quality of a seriously ill person’s life and to support that person and their family during and after treatment. Both believe informed patients and families should be encouraged to participate in their plan of care throughout their illness. Given recent changes in the healthcare model, both Hospice and Palliative Care have become a partnership across the Continuum of Care which includes hospitals, outpatient services, home health and post-acute care. This session will incorporate the latest research in Hospice and Palliative as we address the need for partnerships across the Continuum of Care. Specifically, we will discuss the prevalence of hospice and palliative care programs across the continuum of health services. The growth of these programs requires the creation of collaborative relationships between researchers, clinicians and healthcare leadership as process-focused care continues to develop. Our research will show how both facilitate innovation across the continuum of healthcare practice and are a cost effective approach to improving EOL healthcare quality.