Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents
Nursing Ethics
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nahm, E.-S.
Right arrow Articles by Resnick, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nahm, E.-S.
Right arrow Articles by Resnick, B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

End-of-Life Treatment Preferences Among Older Adults

Eun-Shim Nahm

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, USA, enahm{at}umaryland.edu

Barbara Resnick

University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, USA

With the advancement of medical technology, various life-sustaining treatments are available at the end of life. Older adults should be encouraged to establish their end-of-life treatment preferences (ELTP) while they are physically and mentally able to do so. The purpose of this study was to explore ELTP among older adults and to compare those preferences in a subset of individuals who had reported their ELTP in a survey completed the previous year. This was a descriptive study of 191 older adults living in a continuing care retirement community. Approximately half of the participants did not want cardiopulmonary resuscitation, to be put on a respirator, or to receive dialysis. The findings in this study suggest that many older adults do not want aggressive interventions at the end of life, but choose rather those measures that will keep them comfortable. Moreover, treatment choices may change over time. Health care providers should initiate discussions about ELTP at regular intervals (yearly) to assist older adults in dictating their end-of-life care.

Key Words: advance directives • end-of-life care • end-of-life treatment preferences • older adults

Nursing Ethics, Vol. 8, No. 6, 533-543 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/096973300100800607
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Nurs EthicsHome page
H. Dogan and M. Deger
Nursing Care of Elderly People at Home and Ethical Implications: an experience from Istanbul
Nursing Ethics, November 1, 2004; 11(6): 553 - 567.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Nurs EthicsHome page
M. E Cameron
Older Persons' Ethical Problems Involving Their Health
Nursing Ethics, September 1, 2002; 9(5): 537 - 556.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Nurs EthicsHome page
E. H. Tucker
Letter to the Editor
Nursing Ethics, September 1, 2002; 9(5): 561 - 562.
[PDF]