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May 2010
Pet Peace of Mind—With Free Start-up Funding for Nonprofits
Eight Ways to Improve Access and Care for Veterans
The Moran Data Project
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Palliative Sedation in Hospice Care:
NHPCO Ethics Committee Offers Guidance
By Timothy W. Kirk, PhD
A front page article in a leading national newspaper implies that palliative sedation is equivalent to “slow euthanasia” and draws connections between the practice and the death of Michael Jackson…. A veteran hospice nurse on an inpatient unit refuses to participate in palliative sedation, believing that if she participates, she would be “killing” her patient…. A patient suffers uncontrollably in the last hours of life, while her family and the dedicated hospice team look on helplessly, unaware that palliative sedation can be a safe and effective intervention for patients who do not respond to other treatments.
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Also Featured This Month:
Your Regulatory Questions Answered…. As scrutiny of the hospice industry increases, so do the regulatory requirements. To assist members with compliance, this article recaps some of the recent issues and clarifications from CMS—see page 8. FHSSA Quarterly Report—see page 29
People and Places
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National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NewsLine - May 2010