Care Of The Dying Patient: The Last Hours Or Days Of Life

Too many patients die an undignified death with uncontrolled symptoms. Transfer of best practice from a hospice setting to other care settings, including for non-cancer patients, is a major challenge. Diagnosing dying is an important clinical skill. One of the key aims of specialist palliative care is to empower generic healthcare workers to care for dying patients. Core education objectives related to the care of dying patients should be incorporated in the training of all relevant healthcare professionals. Resources should be made available to enable patients to die with dignity in a setting of their choice. National indicators for care of the dying patient should be identified and monitored. With a commentary by Rabbi Juliaa Neuberger. (Quotes from original text)