End-of-Life Care Considerations for the Speech-Language Pathologist

The crucial role of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in hospice and palliative settings receives a long-overdue focus in End-of-Life Care Considerations for the Speech-Language Pathologist, the fifth volume in Plural's “Medical Speech-Language Pathology” book series. Seasoned clinicians provide a practical guide to the terminology, context, and knowledge needed to employ best practices and address the specific needs of patients nearing the end of life. As a profession, speech-language pathology focuses primarily on rehabilitation, with the expectation that patients’ function will improve with intervention. For patients with life-limiting conditions, SLPs play an important role in supporting patients’ communication, cognition, eating, drinking, and swallowing with an emphasis on quality of living. Clinical professionals require tailored resources to develop their knowledge and skills related to appropriate care and treatment in hospice and palliative care contexts, which have been hard to find until now.

Nearly all patients experience difficulties with communication and eating as they near the end of life. Patients, family members, and professionals benefit if the patient can communicate their symptoms, indicate the effectiveness of symptom management strategies, participate in setting care goals, and engage in social-emotional and spiritual conversations with family and members of the care team. This book provides SLP professionals guidance in how to offer meaningful assessments and interventions that meet patients’ needs. The book contains case examples together with the latest research and contributing clinicians’ years of experience. Supported by these effective and thoughtful strategies, SLPs can offer both comfort and care for patients in their final days.

Key Features

• An overview of and introduction to the key concepts and benefits of hospice and palliative care
• Guidance on terminology and standard models of end-of-life care
• Adult and pediatric case studies with frequently encountered scenarios
• Chapters authored by a renowned team of contributors
• Discussion of legal and ethical considerations
• Practical techniques and strategies for assessment and intervention

Medical Speech-Language Pathology Series Introduction
Foreword
Preface
Contributors 

Chapter 1. Introduction to End-of-Life Care for the SLP
Joseph Shega, Rami Tarabay, Riwa Al Aridi & Julieta Gilson

Chapter 2. The Roles and Responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologists in End-of-Life Care
Amanda Stead, Helen Sharp, and Robin Pollens

Chapter 3. The Role of Patient Preferences in End-of-Life Care
Helen Sharp

Chapter 4. Communication and Cognition Management for Adults With Life-Limiting Conditions
Amanda Stead and Michelle Bourgeois

Chapter 5. Swallowing and Feeding Management for Adults with Life-Limiting Conditions
Paula Leslie and Marnie Kershner

Chapter 6. Speech-Language Services for Children With Life-Limiting Conditions
John Costello and Rachel Santiago 

Appendix A. Teaching Materials for Instruction on End-of-Life Care
Amanda Stead and Jordan Tinsley

Appendix B. End-of-Life Decisional Support Aids
Michelle Bourgeois and Amanda Stead

Index