Palliative Care: Defining the Role of the Audiologist

摘要

While the needs of patients receiving palliative care services transcend age, it is a demographic fact that older people comprise the bulk of those with chronic palliative care needs. When someone has an advanced illness or is nearing the end of life, communication with the patient and family is an essential ingredient in the delivery of quality palliative care to an ever-increasing geriatric population.The number of hospital palliative care teams has more than tripled since 2000, exceeding 1,900 in 2012, and, of course, is expected to continue to increase given changes in healthcare funding that emphasize discussions about end-of-life decision making.