[A consideration of the support for terminal care at the private skilled nursing home]

The increase in the number of residents in elderly care facilities has developed into a growing demand for home-based terminal care rather than treatments at medical institutions. Like many others, the Active Life Toyonaka (private skilled nursing home) has received more requests from its residents for adequate terminal care. It is unfortunate, however, that quite a few residents are obliged to be hospitalized for medical reasons that result in death. The purpose of our study is to determine what a terminal care should be like in a private skilled nursing home. The study has been conducted with the focuse on the successful case of a 90-year-old male resident diagnosed as having prostate cancer with bone metastasis. Our study has concluded that the crucial factors for a better terminal care should go as follows: (1) Having good coordination with medical institutions, (2) Reporting every change in residents' condition and administering an immediate treatment for alleviating pains of the residents, (3) Providing the residents with comfortable life of less restraint on activities in home-based care, (4) Sharing the same information among the staff of all divisions who is in charge of residents (doctors, nurses, caregivers, etc.) and (5) Establishing relationships of mutual trust with residents and their families. Nurses, especially, need to play important roles as coordinators among all the personnel concerned.