Supporting Families Through End of Life Care

End of life care is a process that not only effects the individual that has been given a terminal diagnosis of six or less months to live, but the family members and loved ones of the patient as well. Preparing a patient to pass away takes emotional, physical, & spiritual involvement in many aspects of care. Often times when a patient is in the final stages of the dying process it's easy to focus solely on making sure the individual who is passing is receiving the comfort and care needed. It is critical for the healthcare team to remember that there are other individuals involved such as patient's family members that equally need comfort and care during this difficult time. 

Figure 1: Talking to Grandchildren About End of Life Care

In the article, "Supporting Families at End of Life," written by the Irish Hospice Foundation, it states that "fundamental to good end of life care is the support we give to the family of the person we are caring for before, during and after death." It is important to remember that the patient comes first, but we must do our job as care providers to ensure all needs are met among the family unit before, during, and after the dying process. There are many different approaches to supporting families through end of life care, such as:

• Facilitate family meetings to allow family members to ask questions, address concerns, and provide education regarding end of life care.
• Take time to listen to your patients and their family members. 
• Establish relationships of trust and mutual respect. 
• After a patient's passing, follow up with the family and offer MSW and Chaplin services if needed. 
• Provide monthly group meetings where families can come together and share experiences of grieving and loss. 

In the article, "Family involvement improves end-of-life care," written by the U.S Department of Veteran Affairs, it emphasizes that when families are involved and feel supported in a patients end of life care, the patient themselves are more likely to receive better quality support and assistance from the healthcare team. We as healthcare providers have the opportunity to make a powerful difference in the lives of our patients, as well as their families. It is our duty to ensure we are providing the best care and support possible to all individuals, especially during a difficult time of transition such as end of life care. We must try our best to put ourselves in the shoes of our patients and their families and provide the quality care that we would want for our own individual loved ones. Showing empathy and compassion is key to what we do. We must look beyond our dying patients and help those who are struggling to grieve and mourn the loss of someone so dear in their lives.

Resources

• Supporting Families at End of Life
• Family involvement improves end-of-life-care
• Five Tips for Families Facing End-of-Life Care
• Supporting Families at the End of Life- Michigan Medicine

 (This is a class assignment and not a real blog post.)