The end-of-life care for patient with dementia in the home

Mio Maekawa

Mizuguchi Internal Medicine Clinic

At this hospital, we currently have about 400 home care patients and handle about 40 end-of-life care patients per year. Many of our patients suffer from dementia and live in aged care facilities. When conducting end-of-life care at these facilities, the wishes of the patients and their families need to be considered in the treatment plan, but the policies of the facility are also a factor. Although there is increasing need for home nursing care for end-stage dementia, nursing insurance cannot be used depending on the type of facilities. Thus, patients who wish to spend their final days at home are at times unable to receive medical care. This article will discuss the results of a survey of caregiver working at these types of facilities, present case studies, and introduce the status and problems associated with home health care.

Address correspondence to Dr. Mio Maekawa, Mizuguchi Internal Medicine Clinic (5-219 Kuratuki, Kanazawa city, Ishikawa prefecture 920-8203, Japan)