Thursday, March 27, 2014: 3:15 PM-4:15 PM
Potomac 5-6 (Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center)
Primary Presenter:
Ben Rich, JD, PhD
Co-Presenter:
Kandyce Powell, RN, MSN
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify ethical, regulatory, and legal concerns related to hospice and palliative care for the incarcerated
2. Discuss effective strategies for the delivery of and advocacy for hospice and palliative care services in the prison population.
3. Recognize the important role that prison hospice can play in rehabilitating prison voluteers who participate in such programs.
The prison population of the United States is exponentially increasing, as is the proportion of prisoners of advanced age and in poor health. In many prisons hospice services are insufficient, and compassionate release to the community for terminally ill prisoners requires navigation through a byzantine bureaucratic maze. For the few who succeed, there may be little public support for good end-of-life care even in communities where it is available. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court mandates that appropriate medical services be provided to this population. In this session we will address the clinical, ethical, legal, and public policy issues posed by this state of affairs, and the challenges they pose to hospice professionals. In particular, we will offer the insights gained from a hospice program at one state prison facility and invite consideration of how everyone benefits from their participation in such initiatives.
See more of: 60-minute session