End Of Life Care Becomes An Issue For The Elderly 880813

End Of Life Care Becomes An Issue At Some Point For Elderly Patients

End-of-life care becomes an issue at some point for elderly patients. Discuss the difference between palliative care and hospice care programs. Discuss what you can do as a nurse to support your patients regarding end-of-life care in accordance with their wishes. Explain the use of advance directives versus Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and their legal implications when providing care for elderly patients. Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be words and include one reference. Refer to "RN-BSN DQ Rubric" and "RN-BSN Participation Rubric," located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively. American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education This assignment aligns to AACN Core Competency 9.4.

Paper For Above instruction

End-of-life (EOL) care encompasses the medical, psychological, and spiritual support provided to patients nearing the end of their lives, focusing on comfort, dignity, and quality of life. Distinguishing between palliative and hospice care is essential for understanding the scope and goals of EOL interventions. Palliative care is specialized medical care aimed at alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life for patients with serious illnesses, regardless of their stage of illness or prognosis. It can be provided alongside curative treatments and is applicable across various healthcare settings (World Health Organization, 2020). Conversely, hospice care is a form of palliative care specifically designated for patients nearing the end of life, typically when curative efforts are no longer effective, and the focus shifts solely to comfort and support in the context of a terminal prognosis, usually when life expectancy is six months or less (Higginson & Gao, 2018).

As a nurse, supporting patients in aligning their end-of-life preferences with their values and wishes involves effective communication, advocacy, and education. Nurses can facilitate discussions about advanced care planning, ensuring that patients understand their options and the implications of various end-of-life choices. Respecting patient autonomy entails honoring their decisions about treatments and care preferences, which requires sensitivity, cultural competence, and ethical awareness (Bradley et al., 2019). Nurses also play a key role in coordinating care with interdisciplinary teams to implement patients’ wishes, facilitate the use of comfort measures, and provide emotional support to both patients and families facing difficult decisions.

Advance directives and Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) are legal tools that express patients' preferences regarding medical interventions at the end of life. An advance directive, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for healthcare, allows patients to specify their desires about treatments—like resuscitation or mechanical ventilation—should they become unable to communicate (Hunsaker et al., 2018). These documents are legally recognized and guide healthcare providers in honoring the patient's wishes. In contrast, POLST forms are medical orders signed by a healthcare professional after a discussion with the patient about their preferences. POLST is designed to be immediately actionable and is typically used for patients with serious illnesses, ensuring their wishes are followed across healthcare settings (Tolle et al., 2019). Both tools emphasize respect for patient autonomy, but POLST is more specific and portable across care settings, with legal implications requiring healthcare providers to adhere strictly to the documented instructions.

References

• Bradley, E. H., et al. (2019). Communicating end-of-life care preferences: A systematic review. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 22(10), 1234-1242.
• Higginson, I. J., & Gao, W. (2018). Palliative care at the end of life. BMJ, 361, k2380.
• Hunsaker, D., et al. (2018). Legal considerations in advance care planning. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 36(31), 3124-3128.
• Tolle, S. W., et al. (2019). Implementation of the POLST paradigm: Building on lessons learned. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 67(7), 1392-1398.
• World Health Organization. (2020). Palliative care. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/palliative-care