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Hospice and End of Life Care in Neurologic Disease

  • Farrah N. Daly
  • Mara M. Lugassy
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Abstract

As people progress through neurologic disease, it is important for their clinicians, including their neurologists, to access appropriate and available support for adjustment to different stages of disease. When people with neurologic disease appear to have a prognosis measured in months rather than years, they are eligible for additional support in the home from hospice organizations. The following chapter discusses the origin of hospice, benefit structure, current eligibility guidelines, and potential roles of the neurologist at the end of life. The discussion centers on the hospice benefit as it is defined by the Medicare system in the United States, with a brief review of how it contrasts with other healthcare systems. Finally, the chapter includes an approach to symptom management at the end of life and to recognizing signs of active dying.

Keywords

Hospice Neurology End of life Symptom management 
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2019

Authors and Affiliations

  • Farrah N. Daly
    • 1
  • Mara M. Lugassy
    • 2
  1. 1.Goodwin House Palliative Care and HospiceFalls ChurchUSA
  2. 2.MJHS Hospice and Palliative Care, Department of Family and Social MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineNew YorkUSA

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