Building on community assets to improve palliative and end-of-life care

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Palliative Care
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Serious and terminal illnesses present significant challenges to patients and communities.
• Existing healthcare and social service programs often operate in silos.
• There is a need for integrated approaches to palliative and end-of-life care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a replicable model for enhancing palliative and end-of-life care.
• To highlight the creation of a multidisciplinary, interfaith, grassroots community group.
• To showcase a successful public-private partnership in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a multidisciplinary, interfaith, grassroots community group.
• Leveraging existing community assets and capacities within health and social service programs.
• Establishing a public-private partnership model.

Main Results:

• Development of a replicable model to enhance palliative and end-of-life care.
• Successful integration of health and social service programs in Westchester County, New York.
• Creation of a unique public-private partnership.

Conclusions:

• The developed model effectively enhances palliative and end-of-life care.
• Community collaboration and public-private partnerships are crucial for improving care.
• The initiative has played a critical role in changing the culture of care for seriously ill residents.