Using complementary and alternative therapies to promote comfort at end of life

Dying is a journey for all involved. We have been fortunate to work in a hospital with both an ICU and a palliative care/hospice unit. We have transferred patients for whom care was withdrawn and who were still alive on the next day to the palliative care unit and have found the transfer to work to maximize comfort in dying. For many patients and families who have developed relationships with the staff in their ICU, the combination of established relationships, traditional therapies, and CAT maximizes the comfort during the dying process.