Palliativpflege und Medizin

Abstrakt

Holistic Palliative Care in Correctional Facilities: Integrating Spirituality, Mindfulness, and Quality Indicators

Sascha R Bolt

This article emphasizes the vital need for holistic palliative care in correctional facilities, shedding light on the often-overlooked dimensions of spirituality and mindfulness. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by incarcerated individuals, the discussion advocates for a comprehensive approach that encompasses physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The incorporation of spirituality and mindfulness into palliative care is explored as a means of providing profound benefits for both patients and caregivers, offering solace, comfort, and a sense of purpose in the face of mortality. Moreover, the article delves into the importance of developing standardized indicators for prisonbased palliative care. Given the variations in demographics and medical conditions within correctional settings, the creation of such indicators requires a balanced approach that combines community indicators with consensus-driven adaptations tailored to the prison environment. The collaborative development of indicators is proposed to reduce costs, allowing for core indicators to be collected and compared across regions or nations, while still accommodating local requirements. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the critical role of prioritization during the early stages of indicator development, highlighting the necessity of commencing with simple, clinically meaningful metrics and building upon incremental gains. By taking practical steps to improve palliative care in correctional facilities, drawing insights from community-based initiatives, this approach aims to bridge the gap between patient needs and attainable treatment options, ensuring a more comprehensive and effective palliative care system within correctional settings.