FAMILY-CENTERED PALLIATIVE CARE: SOCIAL WORK PERSPECTIVE

Ayşe ÖZADA [1]

ABSTRACT

The Purpose of Study: There are a variety of roles and functions that are expected to be
fulfilled by the family for a patient at the end of life. In palliative care, the patient is at the
center of the treatment, and the family is seen as a beneficial unit for the patient. The family-
centered model of palliative care offers an appropriate framework for understanding the value
of family in end-of-life care and fits well with social work perspectives that understand
individuals in the context of their family system and greater environment. In this study,
family-centered care is defined and examined social workers roles in family-centered
palliative care.

Method: This review used widely referenced historical accounts of palliative care, recent
literature reviews on relevant topics and current trends in family-centered palliative care.

Findings and Results: Family-centered care acknowledges that the impact of acute, chronic
and/or life-threatening health conditions extends beyond the affected individual to the
surrounding family system. A Social worker in palliative care is trying to understand the
interaction and communication with the patient's family, taking into consideration the family
roles that are becoming more evident in the disease process.

Key Words: Family – Centered Care,Palliative Care, Social Work

[1] European University of Lefke/Social Work/North Cyprus/aozada@eul.edu.tr