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Hospice care: Comforting the terminally ill Hospice care might be an option if you or a loved one has a terminal illness. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.
Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Meier DE, et al. Those of us who know our patients longer often become attached to them.
We, too, hate to admit that death is near. I remember a woman in her 60s I was treating for metastatic breast cancer. She was admitted to the hospital with gastric bleeding that was thought to be unrelated to her cancer. I talked to her and her husband and was optimistic about the reversibility of the problem. Because I was trying not to scare her, I did not discuss the issues of advanced directives and resuscitation. That night, she went into shock, required intubation, and went to the intensive care unit.
Her husband was devastated and angry that she had had such treatment. The next day, he and I together decided that no additional treatment would be given to prevent her death.
He sat with her for more than 24 hours before she died. My desire to be optimistic prolonged her dying and added anguish to her husband. Physicians often rail against the denial of patients and their families. Yet, we are not immune.
Decisions at the end of life are not just guided by physicians. There is a complex interaction when a physician recognizes and acts on an accurate prognostication, what the physician tells the patient and family, and what the patient and family actually hear. Christakis and Lamont have begun to tease out the factors involved in end-of-life predictions.
In oncology, the end of chemotherapy usually signals the terminal phase. Examples of some illnesses which can be terminal include:. People with a terminal illness may live for days, weeks, months or sometimes years. It can be difficult for doctors to predict how long someone will live for.
This can depend on their diagnosis and any treatments they may be receiving. No two experiences of a terminal illness are the same. Other people may find that they have times when they feel better and times when they feel worse at different points during their illness.
Someone living with a terminal illness is likely to receive treatment and care which focuses on managing their symptoms and maintaining their quality of life. This is called palliative care. The aim is to make the person feel supported and give them a good quality of life, rather than cure their illness. People can have other treatments at the same time as receiving palliative care. Palliative care aims to help the person be as well and active as possible, and it helps manage any pain or other symptoms they may have.
People living with a terminal illness and their loved ones may find that they need different types of practical help or emotional support at various points throughout their illness. Palliative care can involve psychological, social and spiritual support for the person who is ill and their loved ones. The palliative care team, which is a team of healthcare professionals looking after the person who is ill, can make sure family and friends receive the help and support they need.
Any kind of cancer can become terminal. Talking to a doctor or member of the palliative care team may help, as they will be able to advise on finding the right treatment, care and emotional support. Terminal cancer is different to advanced cancer. Although advanced cancer is also incurable, people with advanced cancer may still have treatments which could help to prolong their life. They can also receive palliative care alongside their treatment.
For more information on terminal illness, palliative care and the support available, you can call our Support Line on , or take a look at our information on living with a terminal illness.
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