Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:43:15.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Assessment of Palliative Care for Dying Hospitalized Elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Ralph Shedletsky
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook Medical Centre, University of Toronto
Rory Fisher
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook Medical Centre, University of Toronto
Grant Nadon
Affiliation:
Sunnybrook Medical Centre, University of Toronto

Abstract

This paper describes a preliminary assessment of a departmental approach to palliative care for the dying older person. Forty patients who died in the Extended Care Wing of a teaching hospital were studied using the Palliative Care Assessment Record. Twenty-five were studied retrospectively while fifteen were followed prospectively. The results suggest that there may be subgroups of the terminally ill elderly, such as those with respiratory illnesses, requiring distinct care approaches. Suggestions are outlined regarding a more comprehensive assessment protocol to study this and related care issues.

Résumé

Cet article décrit une evaluation préliminaire d'une approche departmentale au soin palliatif pour les personnes âgées mourantes. Quarante patients qui sont morts dans le centre du soin chronique dans un hôpital d'enseignement furent étudié utilisant le Palliative Care Assessment Record. Vingt-cinq furent étudié rétrospectivement, tandis que quinze furent étudié prospectivement. Les résultats suggèrent qu'il existe possiblement des sousgroupes des personnes âgées mourantes, comme celles avec des maladies respiratoires, exigant des approches différentes au soin. Des suggestions sont offertes à propos d'un protocol d'evaluation plus comprehensif pour l'étude de ces questions des soin.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1Isaacs, B.Don't tell her she'll worry. The Nursing Mirror 1979; 149: 2729.Google Scholar
2Cappon, D.Attitudes of the aging toward death. Essence 1978; 2: 139147.Google Scholar
3Williams, R.H.The end of life in the elderly. Postgrad Med 1973: 54: 5559.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Fisher, R.H., Nadon, G., Shedletsky, R: The departmental approach to management of the dying elderly (unpublished manuscript).Google Scholar
5Shedletsky, R. Palliative care for the elderly: A prospective study. Looking Ahead-Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Ontario Psychogeriatric Association. Toronto 1979, September, 9: 2528.Google Scholar
6World Health Organization. International Clas sification of Disease. Ninth Revision. Geneva: WHO, 1978.Google Scholar
7Fisher, R.H., Shedletsky, R.A retrospective study of terminal care of hospitalized elderly. Essence 1979; 3: 91100.Google Scholar