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Palliative Care of the Older Person

  • Susan NewtonEmail author
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Abstract

  • Palliative care should be offered to all patients (regardless of age or disease process) who are suffering from a life-threatening illness.

  • Older persons have distinct palliative care needs.

  • Elderly patients should initially receive smaller or less frequent doses of opioids for pain and/or dyspnoea.

  • The diagnosis of dying is a complex and objective assessment of symptoms and signs.

  • In the last days of life, routine observations shift from the measurement of vital signs to attending to “vital comforts”.

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Copyright information

© The Editor(s)  2018

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.University of NewcastleCallaghanAustralia
  2. 2.The Maitland HospitalMaitlandAustralia

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