End-of-life needs as perceived by terminally ill older adult patients, family and staff.
OBJECTIVE
A comparison of inpatient end-of-life needs as perceived by terminally ill older adult patients, family, physicians and nurses, is lacking. This study aimed to compare the importance attributed to different end-of-life needs by terminally ill older adult patients in long-term care facilities, their families and care providers (physicians and nurses).


METHODS
This descriptive, cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of 451 subjects, including 73 terminally ill older adult patients, 58 family members, 71 physicians and 249 nurses, from two Israeli geriatric centers.


RESULTS
This study found a high congruence between the staff and terminally ill older adults and their families regarding most needs identified as important to dying people. The five needs identified as most important by all subjects were: not suffering pain, having no difficulty breathing, maintaining dignity, having someone who listens, and receiving adequate nursing care. The results of this survey suggest that for terminally ill older adult patients and their families, physical care is crucial. In contrast, nurses attribute higher significance to spiritual needs, but this finding may be affected by the fact that the rate of religiosity among nurses was much higher than among all other research groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Identifying terminally ill older adults' end-of-life needs may enable nurses and physicians to modify and improve end-of-life care. This could result in a substantial decrease in suffering amongst nursing home terminally ill older adult patients and their families.
Ben Natan
Merav
M
Pat Matthews Academic School of Nursing, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel. meraav@hy.health.gov.il
Garfinkel
Doron
D
Shachar
Irit
I
D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000517:prevention & control; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*