Beyond the Bedside: Promoting the Palliative Paradigm in the Community

Support for and education about palliative approaches to care as a public health issue – and not solely a “bedside” concern – is instrumental in changing how we die in our society. Residents of low income, urban communities are not well aware of options for themselves and their loved ones when terminally ill or in need of symptom management for serious illness. The panelist will cover strategies for community assessment and engagement employed by the panelist. These strategies include community-based focus groups conducted for East Harlem public housing residents; skill-building workshops focused on end-of-life decision making for residents; political district-based community forums for constituents; interprofessional work group efforts to educate both providers and health consumers; and infusion of the “palliative approaches” agenda into non-hospice/palliative care organizations’ knowledge structure. Key facilitators and barriers to optimal, culturally competent care will be discussed. (NOTE: Submitted as part of Abstract #299698: Policy process: Formulating and implementing a national agenda in palliative care)