Bridging the continuum: Nutrition support in palliative and hospice care

M. Patricia Fuhrman, Virginia M. Herrmann

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Clinicians and patients in today's technically focused Healthcare environment are often faced with decisions of what should be done vs what could be done. The decision to provide or not provide nutrition support during palliative care and hospice care requires an understanding of and respect for patient wishes, an appreciation for the expectations of the patient and family, and open and effective communication. There can be confusion and disagreement concerning what nutrition therapies should be continued and which ones stopped. These decisions can be facilitated by answering the question: When do the burdens of nutrition support outweigh the benefit to the patient? The patient, family members, and healthcare providers should openly discuss and agree upon the goals of nutrition support during palliative care and hospice care.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)134-141
Number of pages8
JournalNutrition in Clinical Practice
Volume21
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2006

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