ABSTRACT

Focussing on end-of-life care for people who use, or have used, substances, this book explores their social and health care needs and the multiple disadvantages they have often experienced, discussing the complexities around access to care that result.

Presenting models of good practice, case studies and empirically based evidence, Substance Use, End-of-Life Care is informative, rigorous and useful for policy and practice development. The first section foregrounds the personal experiences of people living with substance use, their families and friends, and the health and social care professionals who work with them. The second section looks at how health inequalities can impact people in need of palliative care, including chapters on health literacy, mental health and learning disabilities. The final section explores social challenges that may be experienced, including homelessness, sex work, racism and incarceration.

This interdisciplinary volume is essential for researchers, practitioners, students and educators working around substance use, mental health and palliative and end-of-life care, who are looking for guidance and a reference for their work in supporting people at the end of their lives who have multiple and often complex needs.

part I|49 pages

Different voices

chapter 2|16 pages

Death is not an abstract now

Approaching end of life as someone using substances

chapter 3|15 pages

Views from the coalface

Social and health care professionals working with people using substances at, or near, the end of their lives

chapter 4|16 pages

Seeing the common ground

Family and practitioner caregivers' perspectives of palliative care for people using substances

part II|59 pages

Health inequalities

chapter 8|13 pages

Ageing (dis)gracefully

People who inject drugs living with hepatitis C and the provision of end-of-life care

part III|71 pages

Social inequalities

chapter 10|13 pages

Jane's journey

Substance use, palliative care and sex work

chapter 12|11 pages

Unequal in life and death

Substance use, disadvantage and end-of-life care in prison

chapter 13|12 pages

Reflections and recommendations

Multiple disadvantage, substance use and end-of-life care