Comment: What can nurses do to manage incontinence challenges in end-of-life care?

摘要

The terminology used to describe the care of a person who is near death and subsequently dying has evolved over time from 'terminal illness', 'palliative care', to 'end-of-life care' (Praill, 2000). Seymour et al (2005) identified that in many studies the term end-of-life care is extensive, all-encompassing and a continuous process. Lorenz et al's (2005) definition of end of life is: a chronologically indefinite part of life when the patients and their caregivers are struggling with the implication of an advanced chronic illness'. This definition embraces diverse and distinctive conditions from cardiac disease, cancers, neurological and chronic disease to multiple co-morbidities. The time span of end of life is expansive, encompassing days, weeks, and even longer (O'Shea et al, 2008). Seymour et al (2005) identified that there is ambiguity as to when end of life statistically commences. NICE (2004) summarises that end of life begins when the person is fundamentally dying. In the following decade, NICE (2011) outlined that end of life relates to when a person is projected to die within a 12-month time period.