End-of-life care in a PACE program: respecting the patient's wishes while supporting the caregiver

Family caregivers play a key role at the end of life. They provide high levels of assistance and are often called on to make complex medical decisions. This is a period where there is potential for conflict, particularly when the patient lacks decision-making capacity. This case report describes how an interdisciplinary team helped an end-of-life caregiver to find closure while advocating for the patient's wishes to be carried out. The intervention of appropriate advanced care planning and frequent communication resulted in a positive outcome.