2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Development of End-of-life nursing care at hospitals providing advanced medical treatment for geriatric patients
| Project/Area Number |
15592346
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Community health/Gerontological nurisng
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Women's Medical University |
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Principal Investigator |
MIZUNO Toshiko Tokyo Women's Medical University, School of Nursing, Professor, 看護学部, 教授 (10153305)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KONAGAYA Momoe Development of End-of-life nursing care at hospitals providing advanced medical treatment for geriatric patients, School of Nursing, Associate Professor, 看護学部, 助教授 (10269293)
AIDA Nobuko Development of End-of-life nursing care at hospitals providing advanced medical treatment for geriatric patients, School of Nursing, Assistant Professor, 看護学部, 講師 (80291863)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2006
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| Keywords | hospitals providing advanced medical treatment / elderly / end of life care / development of care program |
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| Research Abstract |
Significant research exists on the terminal care of cancer patients, but research on the special characteristics of elderly terminal care is lacking. Considering roughly 80% pass away in medical facilities, terminal care programs accounting for the special characteristics of these patients should be developed.
Research conducted to provide information for creating care programs investigated the terminal states of elderly patients before death in advanced medical facilities. The results suggest issues that should be addressed in creating care programs.
Comparing these results with malignant tumor terminal care research, pain increases for cancer patients 48 hours before death. Due to reduced consciousness, the suffering of elderly is not as strong. Measures to cope with suffering related to hospital check-in, reduced awareness and difficulty with breathing and respiratory treatment in the days before death are important for elderly terminal care. In cases where awareness impairment limits direct expression of pain, there is a tendency to conclude there is no pain. Methods of evaluating and responding to this suffering need to be developed.
The second study analyzes the conditions and difficulties that nurses experience in geriatric end-of-life care. Particular attention is paid to the nursing care patient's receive in the last month of life. The ability to coordinate policies and timing for responding to respiratory distress, discharging patients from the hospital and supporting time at home between doctors and nurses is necessary.
Based on these results, a care program was developed that focuses on the end of elderly patients' lives, accommodating patient wishes to be discharged from the hospital, control suffering focused on responding to respiratory distress, coping with intense pain, supporting patients with a lowered capacity for self-care and helping families feel less anxious at patient deathbeds.
The program will be refined and expanded in the future.
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