There are a number of resources available to you or a loved one when facing the end of life. Every patient and family member wants to be assured that the patient will not suffer. The links below will provide useful information to guide you and your loved one through the journey with appropriate help and support.

For additional support we have researched and accumulated useful web links and listed them below:

American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
The Academy is the professional organization for healthcare providers specializing in hospice and palliative care, committed to improving the quality of life of patients facing serious or life-threatening conditions. The AAHPM has compiled a list of articles written by healthcare providers that have been published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine and provide valuable information for patients and family members.

Better Ending Partnership
The Better Ending Partnership is an organization that provides information to help individuals plan in advance for serious illness and create advanced directives. It has published a Guide for a Better Ending, available on its website, that lays the groundwork for discussing end-of-life issues with family members and loved ones.

Caring Connections
Caring Connections is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) that provides free resources on end of life care issues and services, including information on hospice providers and state-by-state advance directives.

Hospice & Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts
The Hospice & Palliative Care Federation's website provides comprehensive information to assist patients, family members and friends in understanding hospice and palliative care options generally as well as in the state of Massachusetts.

Hospice Foundation of America
Hospice Foundation of America provides information on hospice, coping with grief, loss, and end of life, both for professionals and lay caregivers.

Hospice Net
Hospice Net is an organization that provides information and support to patients and families facing life-threatening illnesses. This site provides resources to patients and their families about hospice, end of life and bereavement. It also includes a well-developed section on children and grief.

Get Palliative Care.org
The Center to Advance Palliative Care sponsors a website for patients and families facing serious illness, Get Palliative Care.org. The site is intended to be useful in the decision-making process and includes a comprehensive national directory of hospitals providing palliative care.

Relevant Articles: Palliative Care

Brody J. A doctor's duty, when death is inevitable. The New York Times, 2004 Aug 10.

Dembner A. Too little respect seen for the dying: bereaved kin fault care in US study. The Boston Globe, 2004 Jan 7.

Naik G. Unlikely way to cut hospital costs: comfort the dying. The Wall Street Journal, 2004 Mar 10.

Relevant Books

Improving Care for the End of Life: A Sourcebook for Health Care Managers and Clinicians by Lynn, Joanne, MD; Schuster, Janice Lynch; Kabcenell, Andrea, RN, MPH, Oxford University Press, 2007.

Living at the End of Life: A Hospice Nurse Addresses the Most Common Questions by Bell, Karen Whitley, RN, CHPN, Sterling Ethos, 2010.