The public health end-of-life care movement: history, principles, and styles of practice

Abstract

This chapter briefly outlines the history, key concepts, and main practice methods from public health approaches to end-of-life care. Although linked to psychosocial care approaches, its main methods draw not from psychology or health services inspired approaches but rather from health promotion, community development, and civic engagement. Key methods covered include community volunteering, social networking, community engagement, and compassionate communities and cities. The aim of these kinds of approaches is to embed palliative care practice as a social and civic practice in all sectors of society and to ensure that palliative care as a policy is represented in all civic policies (e.g. schools, workplaces, faith groups, and cultural activities) and not solely in health care.

The forgotten people in British public health: a national neglect of the dying, bereaved and caregivers

“…In any case, this explanation does not cover the reason why public health websites remain apathetic or antithetic towards experiences of ageing, dying and bereavement. Clearly, there is some interest from the journals and specifically the PHE websites about end-of-life experiences20 but just as clearly, other public health websites do not share these concerns and may believe there is no need to share them.…”

A Social Capital Perspective on Social-Medical Collaboration in Community End-of-Life Care in Hong Kong

“…Although social-medical collaboration is often an essential feature of palliative, hospice, and EOL care development, interdisciplinary collaboration becomes increasingly important in the public health movement around EOL care ( Karapliagou & Kellehear, 2018 ). Partnership at different levels in the system facilitates a care orientation that extends beyond disease management towards promoting health and well-being near the EOL ( Karapliagou & Kellehear, 2018 ). However, the theorization of social processes in the interprofessional collaboration of EOL care is still underdeveloped in the discussion.…”