End-of-life care

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that gauges the worth of actions by their ends and consequences. Utilitarianism, claims that a person should act in the way that produces the greatest amount of good over evil, and should consider everyone that would be affected by the action (Skelton,2017). In other words, the ethically “correct” action is the one that causes the most pleasure and the least pain for the greatest amount of people. This theory demands that all choices be considered based on the…

“Effectiveness of end-of-life education among community-dwelling older adults” Matsui (2010) addresses the problem that fewer than “50% of severely or terminally ill patients completed an advance directive” (p. 363) which makes it difficult for health care professionals to identify patients’ wishes in situations where end of life is near. This is a significant problem to nursing, as nurses have a responsibility to inform and educate patients about health care directives, and options for…

approximately 44.6 percent of all deaths in the United States. were under the care of a hospice program (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizatoin, 2012, p. 4) Obermeyer, Powers, Makar, Keating, and Cutler assert that evidence suggests that hospice care is able to acknowledge and implement patients' needs and preferences at the end of life, decrease the cost of health care, and improve quality of life and care experiences for families and patients (Obermeyer, Powers, Makar, Keating &…

America is a country founded on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A country where people have the right to live a life in which someone is free to make one 's own decisions to bring about things that make them happy. However, when it comes to decision making during end of life, medical professionals concentrate on repair of the body, not sustenance of the soul. Medical professionals choose to prolong life rather than let life’s natural courses run. America may be a country founded on…

Discuss the philosophy and principles of palliative care: Palliative Care Palliative care is to care for patients and their families, it is to improve the quality of life for the patient. This is for someone that would have a life threating illness. This is used to prevent and relive patients from pain and suffering. End of life care End of life care is said to be the last year of life, this is depending on the person and the type of condition they would have it can be difficult to give an…

Without life we cannot have death; without death we cannot have life. Euthanasia is the process in which a person nearing the very end can decide to end their own life. Assisted suicide is when a physician prescribes to the patient a lethal, but legal dose or injection that will allow them to end their life and in some cases, certain states allow the physician to assist in the process and this process is known as physician assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide became very well-known…

Critics of physician-assisted suicide state that the government should have the right to preserve human life; therefore, they maintain that PAS should not be considered a constitutional right. Critics also state that improving end-of-life care should be the focus for both patients and medical professionals. Additionally, they argue that protecting vulnerable members of society, preserving life, and maintaining the integrity of medical professionals are legitimate reasons to keep a ban on…

Support for Home Care at the End of Life There is no right place to die, but we can help those who want to die in the comfort of their own homes. In the past dying in the hospital at the end of life was normal, but these days many patients are choosing go home at the end of life. There are many options to end of life care and there are different facilities that patient’s live at long-term. Some of these places include nursing facilities, assisted living homes, independent living or even in…

Statement of the Problem: Military members and Veterans have unique end-of-life issues which impact and often complicate grief and bereavement. It is imperative that nursing faculty train and develop nursing students to meet the needs facing our nation as current conflicts draw down, our nation’s Heroes return to their hometown, and ultimately face end-of-life issues. The specific war (Vietnam, WWII, Korea, Gulf War, OEF/OIF) and perceived acknowledgement by the healthcare professional can…

Americans received hospice care. This has steadily increased to a total of 1.6 to 1.7 million Americans who received hospice care in 2014. The number of patients who were served by hospice has steadily increased over the past several years. (“Facts”) V. AMA Policy on End-of-Life Care (“AMA”) A. Opinion E-2.037 Medical Futility in End-of-Life Care When further intervention to prolong the life of a patient becomes futile, physicians have an obligation to shift the intent of care toward comfort…