title: The new Israeli Law "The Dying Patient" and Relief of Suffering Units.
abstract: The new Israeli Law "The Dying Patient" provides avenues for possible medical, ethical, and Halachic (Jewish religious law) solutions in view of the complexity of the treatment of an end-stage dementia patient. The establishment of a hospice-like setting for dementia patients in Israel, based on palliative treatment only, similar to the Jewish hospices in the United States, is extremely important. This article proposes a new, alternative approach and setting for patients with end-stage dementia that could pertain to the Israeli setting and could possibly also be acceptable in other countries. Short hospitalization periods of approximately 1 month and treatment in Relief of Suffering End-of-Life With Dementia Units may be a new palliative approach and present a possible solution for coping with the burden of the suffering of end-state dementia patients, their families, and the medical and nursing staff.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Division, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. bechorz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Bechor Zvi
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Aminoff
mesh_terms: D003704:Dementia / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007585:Jews; D007599:Judaism; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D019452:Terminally Ill