End-of-Life Care

Excerpt

Unlike other conditions and life experiences, which only affect a certain percentage of the world’s population, end-of-life is a stage in living all people eventually face. Estimates are that twenty million people worldwide need some form of end-of-life care. In the United States, on average, 7,000 people die every day from various illnesses. At some point in their careers, all health professionals who provide direct patient care likely encounter an actively dying patient. Therefore, they must understand the issues of concern and the clinical significance of this process. End-of-life research states advances in healthcare have changed the trajectory of the end-of-life. With advances in medicine, the average life has become longer. Thus, the end-of-life varies significantly from person to person, making the end-of-life period challenging to define.

The definitions of the term end-of-life vary in the healthcare literature. One of the more common definitions gives a time frame to the estimated length of life, with the most commonly cited time frame as a period of fewer than 6 months of estimated life. Other end-of-life literature focuses on the last days, hours, or minutes of life. Meanwhile, others define the end-of-life as synonymous with the dying process. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) states that end-of-life care or hospice care commences when a person has a diagnosis of a terminal illness with less than 6 months to live, and curative treatments are no longer options. Healthcare professionals must be aware that while the definitions of end-of-life may vary for everyone, the end-of-life is a process that all humans experience. Some patients may receive end-of-life care for months, while others may only receive it for days. Healthcare professionals must be aware of and recognize disease trajectory in those with terminal or life-limiting illnesses. In this way, they can prepare for the issues of concern that these patients face.