Managing Symptoms During End-of-Life Care

Patients at the end-of-life (EOL) experience a multitude of symptoms both physical and emotional. This chapter describes how to manage these symptoms during EOL care. Family caregivers (FCs) are faced with many challenges as their loved one is nearing death. Understanding what to expect and how to manage pain, breathing problems, skin integrity, and digestive issues is outlined in this chapter. Emotional and spiritual needs experienced at the EOL and ways to meet them are explained. A patient’s story about saying “goodbye” illustrates the importance of coming to terms with loss and reaching closure for a FC. Palliative care and hospice care are explained as EOL care options. FCs play a crucial role in EOL symptom management.