Nursing home care

The intent of this review is to highlight several difficult questions from a personal perspective while caring for debilitated elderly patients in a nursing home. These problems appear to be encountered less frequently in the acute-care setting. Where possible, supporting literature is cited and legal precedent is indicated. The following topics, among others, are discussed: a framework for physicians' ethical decisions, basic ethical principles, typical problems encountered by the physician, and considerations for withholding treatment.