Health Care for the Future of the Aging Population-2

The American population is aging every year. The elderly community is also suffering the more life-threatening complications of physical failures. Offering the option of a death with dignity to cancer patients is a standard of care, but few facilities offer comfort care or end-of-life therapies to patients in intensive care units. Many older patients have often reached the end of their organs’ abilities and frequently endure painful and costly life-saving procedures with limited promise of changing the prognosis. Several studies have shown the growing need for offering comfort-based end-of-life therapies throughout intensive care units. Introducing palliative care in such areas is a proposed organizational change project for a local facility. Providing the opportunity for a comfortable and dignified ending is an important option for the growing elderly population throughout the country.