Running head: SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN 1

Your name:

LaDonna Henderson

Date:

July 31, 2017

Community or population of interest:

Location: None

Statistics: (2014 is the last year for which data has been collected and analyzed)
Approximately 1.7 million patients received hospice services in 2014. As this number has
increased on a yearly basis, this number is assumed to be even greater at the present time.
Hospice services can be provided in a persons place of residence (whether at home or in an
assisted living or nursing home facility), in an inpatient hospice facility, or in an acute care
hospital. However, approximately two-thirds of patients receive hospice care at home.
The median length of service for hospice patients is about 17 days, with half of patients
receiving care for greater than 17 days and half receiving care for less than 17 days.

(National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 2015)

Prevalence:
36.6% of hospice patients have a cancer diagnosis and account for the majority of hospice
patients.
The five other leading diagnoses of hospice patients are heart disease, physical disability,
dementia (including Alzheimers disease), lung disease, and stroke.
19 million hours of volunteer care is given each year by an estimated 430,000 trained
volunteers.

(Radulovic, 2016)

Review of literature and health outcomes data:

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN 2

The focus of palliative care is on symptom management and improving quality of life in patients

with a terminal illness. Palliative care, according to Dr. Galicia-Castillo, a geriatrician board certified in

hospice and palliative medicine, can be delivered concomitantly with curative medicine and can occur

at any time during a disease process (2011, p. 2219). The goal of palliative care is to manage end-of-life

symptoms while optimizing the quality of life throughout the dying process (Rome, Luminais,

Bourgeois, & Blais, 2011, p. 349).

Many times, when people hear the word hospice, they automatically associate it with death

and do not wish to discuss it as a treatment option. However, hospice is not about dying but about

living. If only we can get the general public (as well as all health care professionals) to understand this, it

would help tremendously in providing excellent end-of-life care (Galicia-Castillo, 2011, p. 2219).

Hospice care is a part of palliative medicine and is usually delivered within the last six months of life

when curative treatments are no longer being pursued. Studies have shown that people in hospice care

live longer than patients getting curative treatment for the same illness (For hospice care, sooner is

better, 2014).

The most important thing that palliative care and hospice care have in common is taking care of

people who are dying. Generally, a person is eligible for hospice services are eligible for hospice service

when there is a terminal prognosis is made with a life expectancy of less than six months. Eligibility for

palliative care has no such time constraint and, in fact, the earlier it is started the better.

Your selected health concern focus:

SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN 2

My selected health concern focus is timely access to high quality palliative and/or hospice care based on
patients and families needs to promote improved patient-centered outcomes.

Three possible nursing interventions:

Possible nursing interventions include:

1. Managing pain and other symptoms to provide best quality of life possible
2. Encouraging patient to identify end of life choices
3. Assist patient and family in anticipatory grieving process

Your selected nursing intervention:

My selected nursing intervention will be encouraging the patient to identify desired end of life choices
based on increased understanding of the role of palliative care versus hospice care.

Brief plan for conducting nursing intervention:

My plan for my service learning project is to present the data I have researched in a PowerPoint
presentation with a recorded voice-over.

References
SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT PLAN 2

For hospice care, sooner is better. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.hospicesect.org/hospice-and-

palliative-care/for-hospice-care-sooner-is-better-2

Galicia-Castillo, M. (2011). Palliative care and hospice [Letter to the editor]. Health Affairs, 30(11), 2219.

Retrieved from http://proxy-fs.researchport.umd.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy-

fs.researchport.umd.edu/docview/908419456?accountid=27669

Hospice vs. palliative care. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.caregiverslibrary.org/caregivers-resources/grp-

end-of-life-issues/hsgrp-hospice/hospice-vs-palliative-care-article.aspx

Meier, D. E. (2011). Increased access to palliative care and hospice services: Opportunities to improve

value in health care. Milbank Quarterly, 89(3), 343-380. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2011.00632.x

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. (2015). Facts and figures: Hospice care in America

[PDF]. Retrieved from

https://www.nhpco.org/sites/default/files/public/Statistics_Research/2015_Facts_Figures.pdf

Radulovic, J. (2016, August). Facts about hospice care. Retrieved from

http://hospiceactionnetwork.org/facts-about-hospice-care/

Rome, R., Luminais, H., Bourgeois, D., & Blais, C. (2011). The role of palliative care at the end of life.

The Ochsner Journal, 11(4), 348-352. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3241069/pdf/i1524-5012-11-4-348.pdf