Psychiatric Care of the Terminally Ill

Delirium and Depression are commonly experienced by patients with advanced disease. These psychiatric symptoms often cause significant suffering at the end of life. Caregivers who work with terminally ill patients should develop an expertise in the recognition and management of these syndromes. The presentation will focus on the description, causes, evaluation and management of Delirium and Depression in the terminally ill patient.

About the Speaker:

Robert A Brescia, MD

Robert A Brescia, MD is director of the Palliative Care Institute and Psychiatric Services at Calvary Hospital. He has 30 years' experience in the psychiatric care of advanced cancer patients and has treated over 12,000 terminal patients. Dr. Brescia oversees the research and educations programs at Calvary Hospital which include palliative care training of medical students, residents and fellows' throughout the greater New York area as well as physicians and nurses throughout the world. He has lectured extensively on psychiatric issues in advanced disease, particularly delirium and depression, and is on the Editorial Board of the Palliative and Supportive Care Journal. Dr. Brescia received his medical degree from State of New York-Downstate medical Center and his psychiatric training at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. He is on the teaching faculty at New York Medical College and SUNY-Downstate College of Medicine. He has published numerous articles including, Depression, Hopelessness and Desire for hastened Death in Terminally Ill patients with Cancer; Burden and Benefit of Psychological Research at the End of Life; Assessing Hopelessness in the Terminally Ill; Development of the Hopelessness Assessment in Illness Questionnaire; Anxiety in terminally Ill Cancer patients. Dr. Brescia is Board Certified in Psychiatry and is a member of the American Psychiatric Association.  

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