Making the Case for Palliative Care in Critical Care.
The United States has a changing populace with an increasing number of vulnerable, diverse, and older adults. Of people aged 65 and older, nearly two-thirds suffer from serious comorbidities. Costs associated with chronic illness increase with age and number of conditions. More than 25% of older adults do not have advanced care planning. The current model of health care cannot meet these needs. The initiation of palliative care in the ICU will capture many patients who meet the criteria for palliative care and improve their QOL by management their end-of-life symptoms and reduce unnecessary utilization of health care resources.
Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Florida, College of Nursing, 1225 Center Drive, PO Box 100187, Gainesville, FL 32610-0187, USA. Electronic address: hartjtm@ufl.edu.
Tonja M
TM
Hartjes
D003422:Critical Care; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016638:Critical Illness; D003657:Decision Making; D064946:Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011788:Quality of Life; D012017:Referral and Consultation
Communication; ED; ICU; Interdisciplinary teams; Outcomes; Palliative care; Quality of life