Palliative and End of Life Care

Flashcards covering key concepts from a lecture on palliative and end-of-life care.

Palliative Care

A specialized medical care aimed at providing relief from symptoms and stress of a serious illness.

Hospice Care

A type of care focussed on the quality of life for patients who are in the final phase of a terminal illness.

Advance Directives

Legal documents that allow individuals to express their wishes regarding healthcare decisions.

Allow Natural Death (AND)

A preferred term for Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) that includes no heroic measures.

Brain Death

Irreversible loss of brain function indicating the cessation of all bodily functions.

Cheyne-Stokes Respirations

A pattern of breathing characterized by a gradual increase in respiratory rate and depth followed by a decrease.

Psychosocial Manifestations of Grief

Emotional reactions to loss that can include anxiety, powerlessness, and familial fatigue.

Anticipatory Grief

Grief that occurs prior to the actual loss, often experienced by caregivers.

Bereavement

The period of mourning and adjustment following a loss.

Cultural Reactions to Death

Various ways in which different cultures process and ritualize death.