[Palliative care for elderly, longstay psychiatric patients]

Elderly, psychiatric patients admitted to a long-stay ward become physically ill and die. Which care can be offered on the ward and which cases require transferring a patient to specialized psychiatric-medical wards or a hospice? We studied 40 cases of death by malignancy in a clinic for elderly, long-term admitted psychiatric patients. Transferring the patient to such a ward was never indicated. Our population appeared to have a lack of awareness of their illness and expressed very few physical complaints. The possibilities of curative treatment of the malignancy were limited; the emphasis of the treatment was on palliative care. Because of the intensive support given on the patients ward the patients were able to die in peace. Deep sedation was never required.