Death, Dying and Social Differences

"How often in palliative care do you hear patients referred to as a 'case of this' or 'a case of that'? This book serves as a timely reminder that palliative care must be able to respond appropriately to patients from a variety of social circumstances and communities and that each individual’s treatment should be appropriate to their social context. It underlines how important the social background is and presents discussions of what is appropriate end-of-life care related to poverty, social class, gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity and religion, as well as the circumstances of patients and careers who have disabilities, experience psychiatric illness, are refugees, are subject to abuse, or who are prisoners. I found this book very thought-provoking and a timely reminder of the flexibility needed for truly holistic person-centered care." Review by: Roger Woodruff, MD (Australia)