How to approach patients and families at the end of life

Autor: Maggie De Swardt, Rene Krause, Louis S. Jenkins
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: South African Family Practice, Vol 66, Iss 1, Pp e1-e4 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2078-6190
2078-6204
DOI: 10.4102/safp.v66i1.5916
Popis: Healthcare practitioners are regularly faced with treating patients at the end of their life, and this can be very daunting. This article hopes to help the practitioner have an approach to managing end-of-life care that makes it less distressing. The symptoms at the end-of-life include delirium and/or agitation, breathing changes, skin changes, sleeping more, decrease in need for food and drink, incontinence, and increased secretions. These symptoms are discussed and practical ways of management are given. The article further discusses how to approach the difficult conversation with the family and gives guidance as to what needs to be discussed. A number of tips are discussed on how to prepare the family to handle a death at home. It is essential to look at coping mechanisms and selfcare for practitioners dealing with end-of-life care as the death of a patient not only affects the family but also the practitioner.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals