title: Decision-making in caring for people with dementia at the end of life in nursing homes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alleviating symptoms, fulfilling psychosocial needs, and the inclusion of family are among the criteria that determine care quality in palliative treatment. The care quality is especially inadequate for people with dementia (PwD) at the end of life. To improve this, it is necessary to understand the process of nurses' clinical decision-making in symptom management in the terminal phase of PwD.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to examine the decision-making process of symptom management for PwD in nursing homes in their terminal phase of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative design was chosen with a constructivist approach. Individual interviews were conducted with nurses (n=32) in four Swiss nursing homes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  'Recount and reflect' plays a vital role in the care of PwD in terminal phase, enabling symptom recognition and facilitating symptom management. A process of thinking during the course of action enables nursing staff members to understand what, when, and how symptom changes have taken place.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Highly-trained nurses need to support health care assistants through counselling, coaching, and leadership to help reduce the symptom burden experienced by PwD. Relatives are necessary to maintain an exchange of ideas regarding the appropriate treatment to reduce symptom burden.
authors.affiliation: Deputy Head of Nursing Research and Development, Institute of Nursing, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koppitz
authors.affiliation: Long Term Care Physician, University Hospital of Zurich, Clinic for Geriatric Medicine, and Centre on Ageing and Mobility, University of Zurich.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bosshard
authors.affiliation: Research Associate, Haute École De Santé, Health Department, Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kipfer
authors.affiliation: Head of Nursing Research and Development, Institute of Nursing, Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
authors.forename: Lorenz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Imhof
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D009735:Nursing Homes; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: Decision-making; Dementia; Nursing homes; Palliative care; Terminal care