Communicating at life's end

With more and more people choosing to die at home, palliative care is an increasingly important field. The challenge for those of us working in the field is to develop a comprehensive system of care that will provide high quality, in-home support. Such support involves a large network of formal and informal caregivers--family members, caregiving friends, homemakers and a variety of health care providers--who collaborate together and with the individual to provide holistic care. Thus, co-ordination, collaboration and communication are essential if this network is to meet the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the dying and their families.