End of Life Care

Course overview

Terminal illness can present a myriad of needs that have to be addressed in order to ensure that the person approaching end of life receives the best care to ensure the best quality of life in their remaining days. The needs of the terminally ill range from the immediate and physical, such as the management of pain and suffering, to psychological in order to address feelings of fear, anger, sadness, or depression over knowing that death is near. There are also social needs that are important to address as the majority of individuals who require end-of-life care are the elderly, who are often prone to loneliness. There are also emotional and psychological needs for caretakers separate from the needs of the individual approaching the end of life. Family caretakers have been found in a number of studies to struggle emotionally and experience a lack of support when caring for loved ones at the end of life. Families have also experienced challenges in finding the appropriate type of care for loved ones at the end of life. This overview will discuss the challenges of providing end of life care to terminally ill patients, as well as the best methods of care available with case studies to provide illustrations of key concepts.