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Oxford Scholarship Online

DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198806677.003.0008

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The meaning of dignity in psychosocial care

Book chapter published in 2018 by Susan McClement, Genevieve Thompson ORCID
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.
This paper was not found in any repository, but could be made available legally by the author.

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Abstract

Individuals living with life-limiting illness experience a myriad of physical, psychosocial and existential challenges. Psychosocial care is an holistic approach that aims to mitigate the distress engendered by these challenges. One important facet of such care includes tending to patient dignity. This chapter discusses what dignity is, why it is important, and how dignity conserving care can be weaved into daily clinical encounters. Palliative care is a type of health care for individuals facing life-threatening illness and their families that involves ongoing evaluation and management of a person’s pain and other physical symptoms. It also involves the provision of psychosocial care—care that attends to a person’s emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. This whole-person approach to the care of individuals is concerned with addressing a range of needs that can improve quality of life.