Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026
03:59
Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
Needs of elderly patients in palliative care
1Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. helle.wijk@vgregion.se
The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care
|September 25, 2007
Summary
Elderly cancer patients prioritize pain relief above all else during palliative care. Addressing physical pain is crucial before psychological, social, or spiritual needs can be met.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Palliative Care
- Oncology
Background:
- End-of-life care for elderly patients requires understanding their unique needs.
- Palliative care settings focus on improving quality of life for patients with serious illnesses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the end-of-life needs of elderly patients receiving palliative care.
- To identify and rank the primary needs of cancer patients in a geriatric palliative ward.
Main Methods:
- Pilot study conducted in a Swedish geriatric palliative ward.
- Semistructured interviews with 30 elderly cancer patients (15 male, 15 female; mean age 79).
- Data collected on demographics, physical/psychological status, and patient-ranked needs.
Main Results:
- Pain elimination was ranked as the primary need by 50% of patients.
- Psychological, social, and spiritual needs became prominent only after pain was managed.
- Physical pain significantly impacts the ability to address other end-of-life concerns.
Conclusions:
- Effective pain management is paramount in geriatric palliative care for cancer patients.
- Addressing physical pain is a prerequisite for attending to patients' broader psychological, social, and spiritual well-being.
- This pilot study highlights the critical role of pain control in end-of-life care for the elderly.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Continuing Care
Continuing care describes the variety of health, personal, and social services provided over a prolonged period. The need for continuing care is increasing because people are living longer. Many people do not have families or others to care for them. Continuing care is mainly for patients who are disabled, functionally dependent, or suffering from a terminal disease. It is available within institutional settings or in homes. Examples include nursing centers or facilities, assisted living,...
01:27Ethical Issues
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's cancer...
01:30Ethical Dilemmas II
Resolving an ethical dilemma in healthcare involves a systematic approach that considers every aspect of the issue, respecting both the patient's needs and values and the healthcare professional's ethical obligations. Here are potential steps to resolve an ethical dilemma:
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
The history of therapeutic communication can be traced back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized the importance of developing trusting relationships with patients. She taught that the presence of nurses with patients results in therapeutic healing.
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...