| Theme | Initiation, Maintenance and Discontinuation of Dialysis Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Nursing for the family of a patient before leading to death | |
| Publish Date | 1998/07 | |
| Author | Nobuko Yoshikai | Department of Nursing, Internal Ward of Kidney Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University |
| [ Summary ] | An HD(hemodialysis) patient was diagnosed with terminal cancer, resulting in the death of th epatient. From the painful experience of the patient's family members, it was concluded, that before the death of the patient, two painful subjects must be broached. The first subject being the impending death of the patient, due to cancer. The second being the decision to stop HD therapy. A distinctive characteristic of Japanese culture is that it is considered to be taboo to speak of the patient's impending death with the family. This often leads to a problem with the acceptance of the patient's terminal condition, when making decisions to stop HD. When these critical points are reached, it is vital to discuss the patient's prognosis with family members, in order to help them accept it as painlessly as possible. |
|