Palliative Care Conversations

Palliative care, a multidisciplinary approach to treating people with chronic illnesses, can be a viable and valuable option for people with ALS (PALS). Palliative care focuses on symptom/pain control as opposed to trying to cure an illness. It combines a robust roster of medical, spiritual and emotional services as well as support to meet each patient's individualized needs. "Palliative care is a service offered to people who have chronic illnesses and who need to focus on symptom and pain control, perhaps forsaking or delaying further curative attempts," said Julien Olivier, DMin, BCCC, Fellow in Hospice & Palliative Care and Chaplain at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, NH. "PALS could seek palliative care at any time, beginning with their diagnosis. An expert team helps patients and their families address coping skills, anxiety, use of assistive devices, necessary support services, end-of-life issues and more." Read the full article at the lin

A questioner asked: We want our patients to receive chaplain services and want to ensure that our patients are not proselytized. How can we do this? Concerning Proselytization: The College of Pastoral Supervision & Psychotherapy (CPSP) accredits Clinical Pastoral Education Training programs and certifies Board Certified Clinical Chaplains. We trust that the following would address some of the concerns about proselytization: From the CPSP Code of Professional Ethics: Respect: Colleagues, students, clients, parishioners, and patients deserve our respect. Therefore, members will not proselytize nor impose their own theologies on others. CPSP members will refrain from exploiting relationships or using them to their own advantage. Exploitation includes emotional, financial, sexual, and/or social gain. Records, evaluations, personal notes, and informational conversations will be kept confidential. Competency in Pastoral Care/Counseling : The basic requirements in CPSP for