Thanks to David Clark for allowing us to introduce readers of his blog to our recent publication entitled Death, Dying, and Bereavement: Contemporary Perspectives, Institutions, and Practices. Written by luminaries who have shaped the field, this capstone book distills the collective wisdom of foremost scholars and practitioners who together have nearly a millennium of experience… Continue reading
We are pleased to announce details of this exciting opportunity to study for a PhD in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, Dumfries Campus. The Dame Barbara Kelly Fellowship has been awarded by the Crichton Foundation in recognition of the ongoing contribution made by Dame Barbara to the development of further and higher… Continue reading
This week in Kerala, southern India, the first ever student and young people’s palliative care conference is taking place. It is called STUDENTSPALCON 2015. The impetus has come from the ever-resourceful Institute of Palliative Medicine in Kozhikode, and the associated Neighbourhood Networks in Palliative Care. The conference website states: “Critical engagement with the idea of… Continue reading
People in the terminal phase of an illness are cumbersome, annoying, difficult and useless. Cumbersome with their technological bed, commode, armchair, walking frame, crutches, intravenous drips, catheters and drainage bag: there is no room for them at home. Annoying, with their coughing, wheezing, bad smells, bedsores, insomnia, continuous calls and countless needs. Difficult to manage… Continue reading
There is a lot of interest in the outcome of the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) right now. This is the exercise that every six years or so, assesses and ranks the quality of research in Britain’s universities – across all institutions and subject areas, using a common rating scale. For each subject area, research… Continue reading
It is not uncommon to refer to the United States as the most ‘death denying’ culture in the world. As one wag observed, ‘Americans don’t die, they just under achieve’. Certainly America spends unprecedented amounts on health care in the last year of life – apparently in search of life extension, but often it seems… Continue reading
I have known and worked with Dr Carlos Centeno since we first met at a conference of the EAPC in Geneva in 1999. Over the years, and as our friendship has grown, we have mainly collaborated on studies associated with the EAPC European Atlas of Palliative Care. Recently, Carlos has established the ATLANTES research programme… Continue reading
Four months ago our organisation, the Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (SPPC) created a space on the web where anyone could post a brief message of remembrance about dead loved ones who remain important to them. Little by little, day by day, non-virally, that space has grown into a powerful reminder of the diversity and… Continue reading
