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Chapter-19 End of Life Care Issues, Needs and Barriers

BOOK TITLE: Applied Geriatric Anesthesia

Author
1. Sehgal Raminder
ISBN
9788184482706
DOI
10.5005/jp/books/10053_19
Edition
1/e
Publishing Year
2008
Pages
15
Author Affiliations
1. Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India, Maulana Azad Medical College; Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India
Chapter keywords

Abstract

Dying is a universal experience. Care of dying is a universal health professional obligation. It is not a discreet event, but is a last part of the continuum we call life. It is a special time in people’s lives, a time to review the past, and say goodbye to the loved ones. Challenge is to know how and when to shift the focus to goal oriented care. Given increasing longevity, emphasis on quality of life and advances in medicine and technology, time has come to address end of life issues. Any publicly accepted policy should refer to wide range of related issues. Nowhere is the adage “to cure sometimes, to heal often, to comfort always” be more salient than in EOL care. We should work to lessen the suffering of terminal patients to fulfill the goal of palliative care. Terminal patients are condemned to misery they would rather end, families are obliged to witness prolonged suffering, doctors are torn between law and conscience. In the words of Dame Cicely Saunders, the founder of palliative care “will do all we can, not only to help you die peacefully but also to live until you die”.

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