Terminally Ill Elders' Anticipation of Support in Dying and in Death

End-of-Life Issues in the United States after Terri Schiavo: Implications for Social Work Practice

“…Gardner and Kramer (2010) found that end-of-life care sought by this age group focused on dying with dignity and ignoring additional medical treatment to keep them alive. Similar findings were reported by Leichtentritt (2011), Luptak (2010), Schroepfer and Noh (2010), and Thompson and Chochinov (2010).…”

Identifying Core Domains to Assess the “Quality of Death”: A Scoping Review

“…63,105,149,[162][163][164][165] In the EoL context, it incorporates early PC consultation and specialist support when necessary, 166,167 discussion and understanding of patient and family experience and needs, as well as respecting and honoring of patient's and family's values, goals, preferences (e.g., use/avoidance of artificial prolongation of life) and decisions for medical and other care. 33,36,38,42,135,155,168 It involves anticipating and providing necessary support based on recognition of heterogeneity in need, 169 particularly when the patient is actively dying, 34,147,155,170 considering special needs (e.g., children or elderly, acknowledgment of patient's childhood and 'biographical uncertainty'), 28,36,56,171,172 facilitating acceptance of death, 84 acknowledging time as important, 173 accounting for practical patient needs to maintain daily routines, [173][174][175] and preserving and protecting of dignity. 28,80,93,176 It also includes familial aspects such as valuing the caregivers' expert knowledge of the patient, 69,177 and ensuring shared decision-making to the degree preferred on patient care with advanced care planning (e.g., ability to issue advance directives).…”

“…111,191 Sub-domain 5, access to social care, is for professional management of social distress by social care specialists or social workers that facilitate support and access to resources. 30,170,192 It is interconnected with psychological suffering and contributes to addressing psychosocial needs. 193 Perceived social support is reported to be significantly associated with resilience, which can have protective effects on emotional distress.…”

“…52,95,208 This is especially true for when the patient is actively dying. 170 Culturally sensitive consultation is expected and can help mediate conflicting priorities between cultural preferences and medical soundness. 85,106,164,209,210 Moreover, appropriateness of care is achieved through consideration of patient and family perspectives on care, 87 safety, 29,203 confidentiality, 153 and privacy of care (e.g., not dying in an open ward), especially when approaching death to allow for farewells.…”

The influence of different sources of anticipated instrumental support on depressive symptoms in older adults

“…In contrast, other research has found that anticipated instrumental support could inadvertently harm certain older adults. For some older adults individuals, receiving such support means a decrease in their physical function and self-care ability, which can induce feelings of inferiority and burden ( 27 ). Krause compared the implications of both received intergenerational support and anticipated support on depression, highlighting their distinct and diverse effects on the mental health of older individuals ( 21 ).…”