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End of Life Care of Elderly – The neglected counterpart in Indian Context

Isha M. Aboobacker, Namitha Subrahmanyam

Abstract


The modern health care strives to promote optimum health and wellbeing with special emphasis to
geriatric population but the end-of-life care for elderly remains obscure with limited research evidence
pertaining to ageing population. The term often revolves around cancer patients in the palliative
dimension. End-of-life care for elderly in the Indian context with its unique social, cultural, economic,
and legal complexities have not been adequately explored. The spiritual socio-cultural, economic, and
care perspectives are important to address when the health care spectrum is becoming more concerned
about the growing population of elderly. An overview of the possible challenges and specific strategies
to deal with this issue can empower nurses and other health care professional to perceive the depth of
situation. How to overcome these challenges and barrier of end-of-life care is that the health care
professionals must prepare the patient and family well in advance by instituting measures like, truthful
communication, financial and legal advice, safeguarding the values and preferences and
acknowledging autonomy in decision making. Death and dying of elderly, conceived in perspectives of
Indian cultures is explained in this review.


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.37628/ijgn.v4i2.1998

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