This committee is one of the best ways to finally bring psychology to the table, in terms of training, research, practice and advocacy. The deadline for applications is Jan. 22. Experts predict that by 2050, one in five Americans will be older than 65.
Caregivers frequently fail to provide palliative and supportive care known to be effective.
There are significant legal, organizational and economic obstacles that interfere with excellent care for the dying. Health-care professionals are not trained with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to care well for dying patients. Existing knowledge on how people die and how to meet their needs is inadequate. Most Americans have not yet learned how to confront and discuss the topic of death and dying. The APA working group sees great opportunity for psychosocial research that would address these deficiencies in palliative care.