Disability-Inclusive Palliative Care
摘要
Palliative care is a core component of healthcare provision, aiming to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for individuals with serious, life-limiting illnesses. However, people with disabilities remain significantly underserved in palliative care practices and guidelines, despite having equal or greater needs due to higher rates of multimorbidity, social disadvantage, and structural exclusion. A disability-inclusive palliative care approach addresses this gap by ensuring that services are accessible, equitable, and responsive to the diverse functional, communication, and support needs of individuals with disabilities. With a core of person-centered care, the present model values autonomy, dignity, supported decision-making, and continuity of care across all settings. It also highlights the critical role of families, caregivers, and community networks while confronting systemic barriers, such as diagnostic overshadowing and fragmented service delivery. This entry examines the conceptual, ethical, and practical foundations of inclusive palliative care, including key principles and core components, and offers actionable recommendations for integrating disability-inclusive practices into palliative care systems.