End of life care, spirituality, and legal considerations for elderly patients

Caring for the Old

The End of Life Care

End of life care refers to the total care of a person that has an advanced illness that is incurable and does not equate with death. This end of life care can last for a number of weeks, months or even years depending on the state an individual is.it is usually the care which helps those that have advanced, progressive and illnesses that can not be cured to live life as well as possible until they meet their death. End of life care makes it possible for the patient and their family to get supportive and palliative care needs identified and met throughout the last phase when they are living and into the bereavement period. Supportive care is care which helps a patient and the family to cope with the condition and the treatment of that condition right from the pre-diagnosis period, throughout the diagnosis process and treatment to the cure, the continued illness or the death and to the bereavement. Palliative care refers to the active total care for a patient who is suffering from a disease which is not responding to curative treatment. What is paramount in palliative care is the control of pain as well as the symptoms and giving support when it coms to the management of social, psychological and other problems that come with the illness.

Spirituality and Behaviors

Almost all elderly people consider themselves as being spiritual. Spirituality involves the experiencing of transcendence through an inner peace, connectedness to others and harmony. Spirituality contributes greatly to a higher well-being among old people. Spirituality has a direct correlation with an improvement in both physical and mental health among the elderly. Spirituality creates a positive and hopeful attitude in an elderly person about their life and the illness which predicts an improvement in their health. Spirituality also creates a sense of meaning and purpose in ones life which impacts their behaviors as well as how they relate to their families and the society at large. Healthy lifestyle behaviors among the old are a contributing factor to higher physical well-being. This includes their diet and physical activity which contribute to their physical well being. For the elderly when they are actively involved in religious communities there is a correlation with a better maintained physical functioning and their health. Some of the religious groups advocate behaviors which enhance healthy living among the elderly such as avoiding tobacco and heavy use of alcohol (Boswell, Kahana & Worth-anderson, 2006).

Legal considerations

If an adult gets sick or they are disabled they will need a person who they trust to communicate what they want regarding the care they will get. The goal for healthcare planning for the elderly is to ensure they get the care in a setting they want and make the decision on who they want to express this views or choices if they are not able to do so .a healthcare power of an attorney names the person who will talk with the elderly y's doctor if they are not in the capacity to do so and who can consent to specific medical procedures and treatments advanced directives and healthcare power attorneys, same as a living will assist in ensuring that an individual's wish regarding the care they get is honored and make it easy for their loved ones to know that they are making a correct decision for them when the time comes. If an individual does not have a health power attorney and is unable to communicate or make decision on their well-being, the state regulations assign this responsibility to a close relative of theirs or a guardian of the person is appointed by the court. (U.S. Department of State, 2012).

Nursing Diagnosis & a Minimum of three interventions

The elderly continuing care needs are met in various settings such as home, support housing, residential care, nursing homes or hospitals and at some point these elderly people require a nurse to take care of them. The older people in hospitals or those that live in care homes are more likely to be vulnerable. For this reason they require to be placed in a care home then it is likely that they will need nursing interventions. These interventions include support which includes psychosocial and emotional support, assisting them with easing transition, enhancement of lifestyle and relationships, and facilitating self-expression. The second intervention is restoration which is aimed at the maximization of independence and the functional ability which will lead to prevention of any more deterioration or disability and hence lead to the enhancement of the quality of life. The third intervention is educative whereby the nurse teaches self-care activities such as self-medication, continence promotion and health screening. Together with other members of staff the nurse engages in various teaching activities which are aimed at the maximization of confidence in competence as well as an improvement of the quality of care and delivery of service (The Joanna Briggs Institute, 2011)

Nursing Considerations & Implications

The elderly people are a vulnerable population and therefore a lot of care needs to be put when dealing with them. Nurses need to be very careful when they are taking care of the elderly population since they need a lot of attention and support. Some of the nursing considerations when dealing with the elderly population include assessment of the elderly person and making sure they make a correct diagnosis. The second consideration is ensuring that they give the appropriate and required treatment to the elderly people that will guarantee restoration of the individual's well-being. Nursing implications when caring for the elderly include giving them a hope for life regardless of the illness they are suffering from. Another implication is improved relationship between the elderly person with their family members as well as other people in society.