Instructions
End-of-life care becomes an issue at some point for elderly patients. Answer the following:
1. Discuss the difference between palliative care and hospice care programs.
2. Discuss what you can do as a nurse to support your patients regarding end-of-life care in accordance with their wishes.
3. Explain the use of advance directives versus physician order for life sustaining treatment (POLST) and their legal implications when providing care for elderly patients.
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and cite at least two references using APA style.
Answer
Palliative care focuses on improving comfort and quality of life for patients with serious illnesses at any age. It can start soon after diagnosis and works in conjunction with curative treatments, such as chemotherapy or dialysis (Sheikh et al., 2022). The goal is to manage symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath while still supporting active treatment. In contrast, hospice care begins when a patient’s illness can no longer be cured and life expectancy is six months or less (Sheikh et al., 2022). In this case, treatment aims only to relieve discomfort and provide emotional and spiritual support. Therefore, palliative care supports both recovery and comfort, while hospice focuses solely on comfort in the …To access full answer, use the purchase button below.