"End of Life: Helping With Comfort and Care" hopes to make the unfamiliar territory of death slightly more comfortable for everyone involved. This publication is based on research, such as that supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. This research base is augmented with suggestions from practitioners with expertise in helping individuals and families through this difficult time. Throughout the booklet, the terms comfort care, supportive care, and palliative care are used to describe individualized care that can provide a dying person the best quality of life until the end. Most of the stories in this booklet are fictitious, but they depict situations that reflect common experiences at the end of life.
1. IntroductionAt the end of life, each story is different. Death comes suddenly, or a person lingers, gradually failing. For some older people, the body weakens while the mind stays alert. Others remain physically
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10. Closing ThoughtsMany Americans have little experience with someone who is dying. But, when the time comes, unless the death is unexpected and quick, there are choices to be made. These may not be easy. But planning a
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11. ResourcesIf you are interested in learning more about any of the topics in this booklet, here are some other resources for you to explore. Some of these are also listed in the To Learn More section found at th
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2. Providing Comfort at the End of LifeComfort care is an essential part of medical care at the end of life. It is care that helps or soothes a person who is dying. The goal is to prevent or relieve suffering as much as possible while resp
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3. Finding Care at the End of LifeDecades ago, most people died at home, but medical advances have changed that. Today, most Americans are in hospitals or nursing homes at the end of their lives. Some people enter the hospital to get
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4. Dementia at the End of LifeAs they reach the end of life, people suffering from conditions like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or Parkinson’s disease can present special problems for caregivers. People live with these diseases fo
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5. Understanding Health Care DecisionsIt can be overwhelming to be asked to make health care decisions for someone who is dying and no longer able to make his or her own decisions. It is even more difficult if you do not have written or e
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6. What Happens When Someone DiesWhen death comes suddenly, there is little time to prepare. On the other hand, watching an older person become increasingly frail may mean that it’s hard to know when the end of life begins because
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7. Things to Do After Someone DiesImmediately following death, nothing has to be done. Take the time you need to start the grieving process. Some people want to stay in the room with the body; others prefer to leave. You might want to
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8. Getting Help For Your GriefLosing someone close to you can make you feel sad, lost, alone, and maybe even angry. You greatly miss the person who has died—you want them back. You might have also been so busy with caregiving th
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9. Planning for End-of-Life Care DecisionsBecause of advances in medicine, each of us, as well as our families and friends, may face many decisions about the dying process. As hard as it might be to face the idea of your own death, you might
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