Knowra End-of-life care End-of-life care End-of-life care supports people approaching death by relieving symptoms, protecting comfort and dignity, honoring personal wishes, and supporting families.
Hospice care : A model of care focused on comfort and quality of life for people nearing death, often delivered by an interdisciplinary team. Hospice is a defined service model for providing end-of-life support.
Pain management : The assessment and treatment of pain using medicines, procedures, and other supportive methods. Pain relief is a central part of maintaining comfort near death.
Informed consent : A voluntary decision to accept a medical intervention after receiving and understanding relevant information. Care decisions should be based on informed, voluntary agreement whenever possible.
Life-sustaining treatment : Medical treatment that sustains or replaces vital bodily functions, potentially prolonging life. Such treatment may continue alongside comfort care or be limited according to the person's goals.
Palliative care : Specialized care that prevents and relieves suffering associated with serious illness, at any stage of disease. It supplies symptom relief and communication approaches used near the end of life.
Dyspnea : The subjective experience of uncomfortable or difficult breathing. Breathlessness is a common distressing symptom addressed in end-of-life care.
Decision-making capacity : A person's ability to understand, appreciate, reason about, and communicate a choice regarding a particular decision. Capacity affects who can make treatment choices and when a surrogate may be needed.
Euthanasia : The intentional ending of a person's life by another person to relieve suffering, where legally permitted under defined conditions. It is distinct from providing symptom relief or declining unwanted treatment.
Advance care planning : The process of discussing and recording preferences for future health care if a person cannot speak for themselves. Planning helps care reflect a person's wishes as illness progresses.
Delirium : A sudden change in attention and awareness that fluctuates over time and usually has an underlying medical cause. Recognizing delirium helps teams relieve distress and assess reversible causes.
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