老人安寧緩和療護的需求及處置探討

Geriatric and Palliative Care for the Elderly

老年人口快速增加，面對多重疾病與治療的複雜提供適當老人安寧緩和照護有迫切的需要。老人照護的重點需要透過全面性的評估，瞭解老人生理、心理、社會、與靈性的需求，提供藥物及非藥物的處置，並重視老人生活品質及醫療決策，讓老人得以有尊嚴的善終。老人多重疾病的影響，安寧緩和療護不只是疾病的末期，而是在每一個疾病軌跡點上，都需要安寧緩和照護的介入。因此，老人照護的相關訓練應該要納入安寧緩和教育的課程中。

As the world's aging population grows faster, treatment and medication of comorbidities and providing appropriate palliative care for the elderly are becoming critical issues for the health care service. Geriatric care requires comprehensive assessments to understand the physiological, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the elderly to provide medicinal and non-pharmacological care accordingly. In addition, the elderly's quality of life should be considered when planning medical treatment in order to allow for the patients to pass away with dignity. Due to comorbidities, palliative care should not only be provided at the end of disease, but rather be provided at each trajectory point of disease; therefore, geriatric care should be incorporated into the nursing curriculum and palliative care training programs.