Dr. Ira Byock 's The Best Care Possible

The beginning of life is celebrated. Books and resources are shared among friends and family in preparation for becoming a new parent. So, what happens as one approaches the end of life? Unfortunately, the same care and sharing rarely occurs in those circumstances and many face the prospect of dying unprepared. Though most people state they would prefer to die at home, this is often not where death occurs. Many Americans spend their last days attached to medical apparatus that keeps the body alive, but it does not allow for communication with family and often requires heavy sedation. Additionally, this level of treatment comes at a high price. As a society, we must become as comfortable in addressing the end of life process as we

Many patients and families in this situation have understood that all treatment options have been exhausted, and the focus then shifts to a peaceful, respectable, and comfortable dying process for the patient. The healthcare team desires what is best for the patient. As members of the health care team, nurses may often find themselves in situations where establishing patient wishes and preparing for end-of-life care decisions falls on them. According to evidence-based guidelines for initiating end-of-life care planning “discussions should be driven by the philosophy of hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”

With an aging population in our country we are facing an increasing number of patients’ that are coming to the end of their lives and are presenting with terminal illness. As life expectancy increases we are seeing more and more patent that are 65 year old and older in need of end of life care. Research and medical developments have provided a vast array of treatment options available to our patients’. After patients’ have exhausted all available treatment

Death and dying has changed drastically in the past hundred years. In the past, most deaths occurred without warning mostly due to infectious diseases. Back then, medicine could do little to cure illness or extend life (NCBI, 1997). Most deaths occurred in the home surrounded by family. Today, death usually happens to older people following a long-term illness. The dying patient is usually in a hospital or heath care institution of some kind (Carr, 2003). The dying process is now more controlled by the ill patient and their family (Carr, 2003). “The Patient Self Determination Act, passed by Congress in 1990, requires all government-funded health providers to give patients the opportunity to formally articulate their end of life treatment

Pew Research Center (2013) data indicates that 35% of Americans state that their wishes would be for a provider to do everything possible to preserve their life even with no hope for improvement and tremendous pain. This trend of sedentary lifestyles combined with poor health behaviors and death denying cultural attitudes must be addressed. The end of life care that we will all be faced with at some point currently accounts for a vast amount of resources, the majority of which are spent in the final months of care (Klinger, in der Schmitten, & Marckmann,

We will all die, but in an age of increased longevity and medical advances, death can be postponed while giving the best palliative care possible. This rather integrates compassionate care and respect for

The medical hastening of death became a last resort to the problem of dying, a limited hope of mastery in the face of a hopeless condition (Lavi.) The terminally ill are distraught by hopelessness. Inability for these patients to control their destiny is emotionally and mentally draining. Some find comfort and stability in being able to choose the way they die. They are empowered by the choice of being able to end the suffering on their own terms. Physicians should value giving these people a peace of mind and

A flexible and unbiased attitude is needed in order for the caregivers methods to be effective.Jaffe and Ehrlich's purpose in writing this book is to provide people with a holistic understanding of hospice care by highlighting the many factors of hospice care, such as: pain control, nursing support, Medicare, availability of hospice programs, curriculum of medical students, sensitivity to religious beliefs, as well as the details of each area. Through their stories, they provide examples of the above areas to help the reader understand the benefits of Hospice care.This paper will provide an outline of the main points in the preface, introduction, and each of the nine chapters and appendix A; excluding the foreword, Appendix B, and Appendix C.PREFACEByock explains "the power to change public and professional attitudes lies within the stories of people's experiences in dying" (1, p. viii). This solidifies the purpose of

[End-of-Life care is a term used in the medical field to describe treatment given to a patient around the time of death. With the advance of modern medicine, there is an expectation on the part of the patient and the physician that the patient would then live longer, but death is not curable, and the end will inevitably come. In these cases, the patient may not be able to be cured of their disease, but medical support and surgery may extend their time to live for a while. A moral dilemma raises then when the decision between prolonging life and making it meaningful has to be made by the patient ]

Further, a dying person’s physical suffering can be most unbearable to that person’s immediate family. Medical technology has failed to save a loved-one. But, successful or not, medicine has a high price attached to it. The cost is sometimes too much for the terminally ill’s family. A competent dying person has some knowledge of this, and with every day that he or she is kept alive, the hospital costs skyrocket. “The

This ensures that the clients receive necessary interventions that are beyond the nurse’s scope of practice. When considering how to help each client and their family, a nurse needs not to go further than to simply ask. For acting as guides, this book provides valuable tips on how to walk with clients and their respective families through the dying experience. When a nurse acts as a guide, he or she must be able to combine his or her intuition with knowledge and communication skills in order to lead patients and their family in this last and difficult journey. Striving to become as competent and compassionate as one can, a nurse could leave a huge impact in the lives of the dying and those who are being left behind. Nurses are not only present to provide compassionate care but are also there to help the patient leave an everlasting legacy that their loved ones could never forget. Everyone who is involved with end-of-life care, whether they are part of the health care team or a family member, can truly benefit from reading this work. The patients themselves can benefit as this book can assist them to better understand what they are going through and become more aware of how much help is out there for them. This book has several strengths. Every chapter (or major topic) begins with a small anecdote or narrative of a patient’s dying experience. These narratives often involve nurses and family members. These

Death is something all of us in some ways fear due to the fact that it is a venture into the unknown. But all of us will eventually have to experience it either by losing someone we know or in our own dying. Death is an inevitable part of life and individuals deal with it in various ways. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief and Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are two theorist that explain ways people deal with dying, death and grief. Experiencing in the medical field is inevitable. Understanding series such as hospice care and palliative care is crucial for medical staff. And, it is crucial to know the appropriate time to consider theses services and when to discuss DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). The person interviewed

It is a fact of life that we will all die someday. However, with advanced technology in medicine, more choices and decisions for dying patients have been created. Dying patients are now able to choose when and how they want to die other than just letting nature take its course. Whether one chooses to die with a Physician’s assistance, focus on comfort and recognizing preferences and reaffirming the commitment to preserve life, is all up to an individual or families and subject for discussion.

When it comes to quality life at a patient’s end of life the use of palliative care is a vital component of the healthcare system to not only provide comfort for the patient, but also provide another option when battling their disease or illness has become too much for them. There is much disagreement when it comes to whether a patient should continue their treatment or enter palliative care. How does one know when they should just stop treatment? When does someone who is gravely ill know that enough is enough when their family could potentially want them to keep fighting? Does the integration of palliative care increase a patient’s chances of living longer?

The end of life may be months, weeks, days, or hours depending on the situation at hand. This should be a time when many procedures and treatments should be knowledgeable by the caregiver in charge of a dying patient. “Traditionally, a hospital’s goals have been to cure illness and prolong life; in contrast, hospice care emphasizes palliative care, which involves reducing pain and suffering and helping individuals die with dignity” (Albrecht & others, 2013; Holloway & others, 2014; Kelly & others, 2014) (p. 410) Palliative care focuses on relieving pain and meeting practical needs. However, this new type of care enables quality of life. Care providers will work to identify and carry out goals: symptom relief, counseling, comfort, and everything that enhances your quality of life.