Caregivers may call the physician or a nurse if the individual:
In most cases, the caregiver works along with physicians and follows professional instructions.
Doctors generally do not provide estimates for fear of instilling false hopes or obliterate an individual's hope. The patient's family may have questions and most caregivers can provide information to help ease the mind. Caregivers provide assistance with food and psychological support and ensure that the individual is comfortable. They can also assist the individual with daily living activities and movement. Caregivers can help patients receive medications to reduce pain and control symptoms of nausea or vomiting. Terminal patients often need a caregiver, who could be a nurse, licensed practical nurse or a family member. Some complementary approaches, such as relaxation therapy, massage, and acupuncture may relieve some symptoms and other causes of suffering. Hospice care, which can be provided at home or in a long-term care facility, additionally provides emotional and spiritual support for the patient and loved ones. Palliative care is normally offered to terminally ill patients, regardless of their overall disease management style, if it seems likely to help manage symptoms such as pain and improve quality of life. Patients' choices about different treatments may change over time. Still others reject conventional medical treatment and pursue unproven treatments such as radical dietary modifications. Others continue aggressive treatment in the hope of an unexpected success. Some terminally ill patients stop all debilitating treatments to reduce unwanted side effects. However, some kinds of medical treatments may be appropriate anyway, such as treatment to reduce pain or ease breathing. īy definition, there is not a cure or adequate treatment for terminal illnesses. While death cannot be avoided, patients can still strive to die a good death. īecause terminal patients are aware of their oncoming deaths, they have more time to prepare advance care planning, such as advance directives and living wills, which have been shown to improve end-of-life care. Psycho-therapeutic interventions may help alleviate some of these burdens, and is often incorporated in palliative care. Oftentimes, terminal patients may experience depression or anxiety associated with oncoming death, and family and caregivers may struggle with psychological burdens as well. Lifestyle after diagnosis varies depending largely on management decisions and also the nature of the disease, and there may be living restrictions depending on the condition of the patient. Decisions regarding management are made by the patient and his or her family, although medical professionals may give recommendations or more about the services available to terminal patients. Examples include caregiving, continued treatment, hospice care, and physician-assisted suicide.
Terminal patients have options for disease management after diagnosis. An illness which is lifelong but not fatal is a chronic condition.
Life expectancy for terminal patients is a rough estimate given by the physician based on previous data and does not always reflect true longevity. There is no standardized life expectancy for a patient to be considered terminal, although it is generally months or less. A patient who has such an illness may be referred to as a terminal patient, terminally ill or simply as being terminal. In popular use, it indicates a disease that will progress until death with near absolute certainty, regardless of treatment. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced heart disease than for injury. Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient. For the alternative definition of eyestrain, see computer vision syndrome.