title: Physician-older patient communication at the end of life.
abstract: Communication with dying patients and their families requires special skills to assist them in this extremely stressful period. This article begins with a case that illustrates many of the challenges of communicating with the dying. It then reviews the literature about communication with older patients at the end of life, focusing on physician-patient discussions, decision-making, advance directives, and cultural factors. The article concludes with a practical discussion of problems that physicians may encounter when working with older patients at the end of life and their families and recommendations to improve communication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, Brooklyn Hospital Center, USA.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Siegler
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D032722:Advance Care Planning; D024362:Advance Directive Adherence; D016223:Advance Directives; D000368:Aged; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003142:Communication; D036262:Empirical Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014342:Truth Disclosure