Caregiver Stress and Staff Support in Illness, Dying and Bereavement

The need for renewal and support for those who care for seriously ill, dying, and bereaved people has been acknowledged from the very beginning of the hospice and palliative care movement. While often referring to the rewards and satisfactions of the work, Dame Cicely Saunders was the -first to acknowledge that helping encounters with dying patients and distressed relatives could be a source of anguish and grief for dedicated and compassionate carers. Caregiver Stress and Staff Support in Illness, Dying, and Bereavement discusses the challenge of finding a balance between the support needs of patients, families, and staff and the resources available. With contributions from practitioners and researchers from around the world, this book recognizes that palliative care today is being provided in many different settings and that there may be wide variations in the way individuals and organizations identify and manage the stressors that arise through the work. This unique collection of international perspectives on the complexities and management of caregiver stress and staff support builds on the firm foundation Mary Vachon built over thirty years ago in her studies, yet broadens the scope to include significant social, political, and cultural variations on the theme.