End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care

End u of uLife

Helping with Comfort and Care

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

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National Institute on Aging Office of Communications and Public Liaison

Bethesda, MD 20892-2292 nia.

End u of uLife

Helping with Comfort and Care

3 Introduction 5 Providing Comfort at the End of Life 19 Care Options at the End of Life 34 Dementia at the End of Life 39 Understanding Healthcare Decisions 51 What Happens When Someone Dies 54 Things to Do after Someone Dies 58 Getting Help for Your Grief 61 Planning for End-of-Life Care Decisions 68 Closing Thoughts 69 Resources

Empty-handed I entered the world, Barefoot I leave it.

My coming, my going Two simple happenings That got entangled.

-- Kozan Ichikyo (d. 1360)

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Introduction

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At the end of life, each story is different. Death comes suddenly, or a person lingers, gradually fading. For some older people, the body weakens while the mind stays alert. Others remain physically strong, but cognitive losses take a huge toll. Although everyone dies, each loss is personally felt by those close to the one who has died. End-of-life care is the term used to describe the support and medical care given during the time surrounding death. Such care does not happen only in the moments before breathing ceases and the heart stops beating. Older people often live with one or more chronic illnesses and need a lot of care for days, weeks, and even months before death. The goal of End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care is to provide guidance and help in understanding the unfamiliar territory of death. This information is based on research, such as that supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), along with other parts of the National Institutes of Health. It also includes suggestions from healthcare providers with expertise in helping individuals and families through this difficult

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