Geriatric palliative care in long-term care settings with a focus on nursing homes

J Palliat Med. 2013 Oct;16(10):1180-7. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2013.9474. Epub 2013 Aug 28.

Abstract

Almost 1.7 million older Americans live in nursing homes, representing a large proportion of the frailest, most vulnerable elders needing long-term care. In the future, increasing numbers of older adults are expected to spend time and to die in nursing homes. Thus, understanding and addressing the palliative care needs of this population are critical. The goals of this paper are to describe briefly the current state of knowledge about palliative care needs, processes, and outcomes for nursing home residents; identify gaps in this knowledge; and propose priorities for future research in this area.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Advance Directives
  • Aged
  • Health Priorities
  • Health Services Needs and Demand*
  • Humans
  • Long-Term Care*
  • Nursing Homes*
  • Palliative Care*
  • Professional-Family Relations
  • Quality of Health Care
  • Research
  • United States