order stating the patient does not want to be placed on a ventilator if they are unable to breathe independently
do-not-resuscitate (DNR)
order stating the patient does not want CPR conducted if their heart stops
durable power of attorney (DPOA)
document enabling the patient to list a specific individual whom they entrust to make financial and health-care decisions when they are no longer able to do so
euthanasia
act by an individual to cause death, such as directly administering a lethal dose of a medication; illegal throughout the United States
grief
emotional state that follows a loss
health-care proxy
person designated in a durable power of attorney document to make health-related decisions for a patient who is no longer able to make their own decisions
holistic care
care for the whole person, including body, mind, spirit, and emotions
hospice care
specific type of palliative care for patients nearing the end of life, encompassing physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs and desires
Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST)
program with a goal of improving quality of care for patients at the end of life by enabling them to specify their goals and preferences via a transferrable form; known in some states as POLST
mourning
external actions taken to express one’s grief, such as wearing black
palliation
effort to alleviate suffering and enhance quality of life for patients with serious, often progressive, illnesses
palliative care
comfort care provided when a serious illness is no longer responding to treatment
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
program with a goal of improving quality of care for patients at the end of life by enabling them to specify their goals and preferences; known in some states as MOLST
provider-assisted death
use of pharmacological agents prescribed by a health-care provider to hasten death; legal in certain US states and jurisdictions
respite care
period of rest for a caregiver in which the patient temporarily resides in a skilled nursing facility before returning home