The 1997 report from the Institute of Medicine, Approaching Death: Improving Care at the End of LIfe, found widespread dissatisfaction with end-of-life care and many gaps in our scientific knowledge of this phase of life. In response, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) sponsored a workshop on the symptoms of terminal illness, and NINR was later designated the lead Institute within National Institute of Health (NIH) for end-of-life research.
Below, is one of the critical issues identified by the NINR which occurs at the end of life:
Withdrawing Life Support
Most family caregivers involved in a recent decision to withdraw or withhold life support from an elderly relative reported strain in the process that led to uncertainty, guilt, regret, and anger. However, some caregivers accepted their role and believed they were doing the right thing. Afterward, these caregivers were more at ease with their decision and felt that they had learned from the process and grown closer to other family members.
Hansen, Oregon Health and Science University, 2004
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