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A Volunteer Program for Helping Families in a Critical Care Unit

1987; Oxford University Press; Volume: 12; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/hsw/12.1.21

1545-6854

Lissa Parsonnet, Lois Weinstein,

Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

When patients are critically ill, their families suffer extreme emotional distress, often without the support of staff who must focus first on patients' needs. This article describes a social work program that has successfully used volunteers in a critical care unit to facilitate communication between family members and staff, lessen the family's sense of isolation, and provide responsive services in a crisis-oriented setting.