safety in hospice …

… Casarett and colleagues’ article cautioning against misapplying routine safety measures in the hospice setting. Fundamental differences include goals of care (comfort not cure), longevity (days to months not years) and primary caregivers (family and friends not trained health care personnel).

A follow-up article would address safety measures that are appropriate and specific for hospice – particularly in the psycho-social-spiritual realm. What harm do we do when we are insensitive in things we say? … or in the way we approach cultural-religion specific rituals? One could think of many other examples.