Palliative Care within Long-Term Care Systems: Beyond End of Life?

Abstract

Long-term care (LTC) is often discussed and presented in the context of prevention and rehabilitation, empowerment, dignity and self-autonomy and mechanisms that support holistic care. However, ultimately LTC for older people culminates with caring for people at the end of their lives. This entails that LTC in all its dimensions is regularly confronted with sensitive and sometimes even ethically precarious situations. A balanced mix and proper coordination of social, medical, formal and informal services as well as the integration of long-term, palliative and medical care concepts is of need in such situations. Decisions have to be taken regarding medical and psychosocial interventions, care approaches and appropriate support under different individual circumstances in the very last moments of a person’s life.