Essential Elements of an Effective Prison Hospice Program.
As the number of prison inmates facing end-stage chronic illness grows, more prisons across the U.S. must address the need for end-of-life care. Many will likely need to develop a plan with potentially limited resources and external support. This case study presents one long-running model of care, the Louisiana State Penitentiary Prison Hospice Program. Based on field observations and in-depth interviews with hospice staff, inmate volunteers and corrections officers, we identify five essential elements that have contributed to the long-term operation of this program: patient-centered care, an inmate volunteer model, safety and security, shared values, and teamwork. We describe key characteristics of each of these elements, discuss how they align with earlier recommendations and research, and show how their integration supports a sustained model of prison end-of-life care.
University of Utah, College of Nursing, Salt Lake City, UT, USA kristin.cloyes@nurs.utah.edu.
Kristin G
KG
Cloyes
Oregon Health & Science University, School of Nursing, Portland, OR, USA.
Susan J
SJ
Rosenkranz
Oregon Health & Science University, School of Nursing, Portland, OR, USA.
Patricia H
PH
Berry
University of Utah, College of Nursing, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Katherine P
KP
Supiano
University of Utah, College of Nursing, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Meghan
M
Routt
University of Washington, School of Nursing, Tacoma, WA, USA.
Kathleen
K
Shannon-Dorcy
University of Utah, College of Nursing, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Sarah M
SM
Llanque
D017051:Hospice Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010348:Patient Care Team; D061214:Patient Safety; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010379:Peer Group; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States; D014838:Volunteers
correctional health; end-of-life care; nursing; palliative care; prison hospice; volunteers