Palliative care and end-of-life care in the geriatric setting

"palliare" - to wrap with a cloak

Palliative therapy serves to improve the quality of life of patients facing a life-threatening illness and their families. This is done by preventing and alleviating suffering through early detection, highly skilled assessment and treatment of pain and other problems of a physical, psychosocial and spiritual nature (WHO, 2002).

The seminar provides an introduction to the care of people at the end of life. In addition to teaching nursing and therapeutic skills, the course focuses in particular on the self-image of a palliative attitude and support.

• What does "palliative" mean?
• Case reviews of palliative patients
• Palliative, therapeutic-accompanying care
• Quality of life and goals, dealing with the wish to die
• Symptom assessment
• Palliative rehabilitation, aroma treatment
• Palliative therapy, basic and on-demand medication, crisis intervention
• Spirituality, rituals, farewell and mourning
• Nutrition at the end of life, delirium, anxiety
• Terminal sedation
• Communication
  With patients and relatives in special situations
  With patients with communication disorders
• Specific aspects of documentation

• Supporting and accompanying seriously ill older people and their caregivers in the dying phase
• Recognition and acceptance of specific needs as well as activating-therapeutic support in coping with the dying situation
• Safeguarding the right to self-determination of older people, even if their ability to do so is limited
• Support in exercising everyday skills as well as socio-psychological and spiritual needs

• Theory impulses
• Exchange of experience and discussion
• Practical exercises, case situations