Care of the dying. Relevance of the hospice concept to general practice

Care of a hospice type can be offered by any general practitioner who is interested in care of the dying; is prepared to share in professional team work; knows the skill of prescribing for symptom relief; and who is prepared to spend that extra time and effort to foresee and alleviate the many problems facing a family when one of them is dying. Steps to be taken in terminal care: 1. Try to predict the likely course of events. 2. Have a clear plan of management, based on your predictions, which can be explained to the patient and family members as needs change. 3. Involve the relatives in your care plan as much as possible. 4. Keep in close communication with the nurses and other professionals providing care.