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Go Local
- Services and providers for End of Life Issues in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on End of Life Issues is the National Institute of Nursing Research
Languages
- Chinese - Simplified (简体中文)
- Chinese - Traditional (繁體中文)
- Spanish (español)
End of Life Issues
Also called: Death and dying, Terminal care
Sometimes, in spite of treatment, a condition or illness will cause death. In those cases, patients can decide what they do and do not want done. They can decide whether they want aggressive treatment that might prolong life or whether they prefer to stop treatment, which could mean dying sooner but more comfortably. They may want to plan their own funeral. Advance directives can help make the patient's wishes clear to families and health care providers.
Care at the end of life focuses on making patients comfortable. They still receive medicines and treatments to control pain and other symptoms. Some patients choose to die at home. Others enter a hospital or a hospice. Either way, services are available to help patients and their families deal with issues surrounding death.
| Basics | Learn More | Multimedia & Cool Tools |
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| Research | Reference Shelf | For You |
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Overviews
- Death and Dying(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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End-of-Life Care: Questions and Answers
(National Cancer Institute)
- JAMA Patient Page: Decisions about End-of-Life Care(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF
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Latest News
- Families Want Doctors to Share Bad News(12/15/2008, Reuters Health)
- Seniors Tend to Stick with End-of-Life Care Preferences(10/27/2008, HealthDay)
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Coping
- Care of the Family(Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care)
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End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care(National Institute on Aging)
- Offering Spiritual Support for Family or Friends(National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization) - Links to PDF
- Terminal Illness: Interacting with a Terminally Ill Loved One(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Specific Conditions
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Artificial Hydration and Nutrition(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
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Coping with Advanced Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
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End of Life Choices - Feeding Tubes and Ventilators(Family Caregiver Alliance)
Also available in Spanish
- End of Life: Caring for Your Dying Loved One(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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End-of-Life Care: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
- When You Have Pain at the End-of-Life(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
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Artificial Hydration and Nutrition(American Academy of Family Physicians)
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Related Issues
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Autopsy: Questions and Answers(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
- Conversations Before the Crisis(National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization) - Large PDF file
- Culturally Diverse Communities and End-of-Life Care(American Psychological Association) - Links to PDF
- Eldercare at Home: Dying at Home(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
- Funeral Arrangements and Memorial Services(AARP)
- If You or Someone You Love is Very Ill...Ask Tough Questions(National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization) - Links to PDF
- JAMA Patient Page: Brain Death(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF
- Leaving a Legacy(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
- Living Well with a Serious Illness: Talking with Your Doctor When the Future Is Uncertain(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
- Talking about Your Final Wishes(AARP)
- When Someone You Love Decides to Stop Treatment(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Autopsy: Questions and Answers(American Academy of Family Physicians)
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Financial Issues
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Burial Funds(Social Security Administration)
Also available in Spanish
- Final Details: A Checklist(AARP)
- Finances: Looking Ahead(AARP)
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Survivors Benefits(Social Security Administration)
Also available in Spanish
- What to Do When a Beneficiary Dies(Social Security Administration)
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Burial Funds(Social Security Administration)
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Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Terminal Care(National Institutes of Health)
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Research
- Are We Equal in Death? Avoiding Diagnostic Error in Brain Death(American Academy of Neurology)
- Family Members' Opinions about Sharing Bad News(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
- Treatment of Seriously Ill Patients Who Are Near the End of Life(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: To the bitter end: disparities in end-of-life care.
- Article: Resources must be diverted to allow people to die at...
- Article: Bringing care home. Interview by Alice McBrearty.
- End of Life Issues -- see more articles
- Funeral rites -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary(Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care)
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Directories
- Community Resources(AARP)
- Where to Write for Vital Records(National Center for Health Statistics)
- Organizations Return to top
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Law and Policy
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End of Life Choices - CPR and DNR(Family Caregiver Alliance)
Also available in Spanish
- Ethical and Legal Issues(AGS Foundation for Health in Aging)
- Getting Legal Help(AARP)
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End of Life Choices - CPR and DNR(Family Caregiver Alliance)
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Children
- Discussing Death with a Dying Child(American Cancer Society)
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Talking to Children about Death(National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center) - Links to PDF
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When Somebody Dies(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
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Seniors
- End of Life Care: A Guide for Seniors and Caregivers(American Geriatrics Society)
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Date last updated: 27 December 2008 Topic last reviewed: 07 October 2008 |