Discussion Post: End-Of-Life Care Becomes an Issue at Some Point for Elderly Clients
Aging in place is on the rise for Americans. Patients are making the choice to stay at home rather than being in a nursing care facility or other types of institutional facilities. The primary reason is cost, and patients personal preferences to remain at home. Challenges that factor into their decisions are the health conditions and the ability to have knowledgeable care givers, (Green, 2018).
Patients with advanced health conditions who may be approaching the end-of-life phase are entitled to available high-quality, compassionate, Evidence -Based care that coincides with their wishes. The Institute of Medicine (Dying in America), states that patients nearing the end-of-life phase characterizes that care" patient-centered and consistent with individuals' values, goals, and informed preferences, (Dying in America, 2016).
To assist with a patient's wishes as Professional Health Care Providers we need to advocate for the patient to prepare an advance directive/ living will that specifies the type of care and treatments the patient does or does not wish to receive under certain medical conditions and include family members and care givers of the patients wishes. According to the Institute of Medicine, ( Dying in America), 80% of Americans would prefer to be cared for at their home if they were terminally ill (6 months or less to live), (Grif ,2016).
There are many types of Evidence Based Practice strategies for end-of-life care. Music has been found to be very proactive. End of life services such as Palliative care or Hospice focuses on "caring not curing" to enhance a patient's quality of life. Music has been one type of successful Evidence Based Practice used and after extensive research, music was found to reduce pain, anxiety, agitation, and depression. Peer reviewed research documents the benefits of music and its usefulness during end-of-life care, (Daniels, 2016).
End-of-life care becomes an issue at some point for elderly clients. Even with the emergence of palliative care programs and hospice programs, most elderly people do not die in their own home as is their preference. What are the reasons for this trend? Discuss what you can do as a nurse to support your clients regarding end-of-life care in accordance with their wishes. Support your response with evidence-based literature.
The response must include a reference list. Using one-inch margins, double-space, Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.