Terminal patients are those who have been diagnosed with a condition where their physical state cannot be improved any further, such as terminal cancer patients who experience symptoms progressing to the final stages of the disease with continuous deterioration. What families and relatives want to know is, ultimately, how many months can a terminal patient live? This is to prepare in every aspect and plan to help the patient feel comfortable and live as well as possible until their last day.
How many months can a terminal patient live?
Generally, terminal patients (end of life) for whom specific treatments cannot cure the disease usually live no more than 6 months, or no more than 3 months in some cases, especially if the patient has severe chronic illness that makes them unable to care for themselves or communicate with those around them.
How can relatives plan to cope and properly care for the patient?
The approach to caring for terminal patients focuses on minimizing physical suffering by emphasizing palliative care to ensure the patient and their family or relatives have the best quality of life together during the final stage of life.
Palliative care means all types of medical and nursing care, including psychological, social care, and meeting the patient’s needs. In these steps, the patient and relatives play a crucial role in cooperating with each other to live together happily and have the best possible quality of life.
Steps in caring for terminal patients
Before care begins, it is important that the patient understands their symptoms. Relatives should honestly inform the patient about the disease symptoms and how many months the terminal patient is expected to live. This benefits the patient and also the relatives, as understanding the care process allows them to prepare for whatever may happen, whether good or bad.
Truthful disclosure of illness to terminal patients
Informing the patient helps them make advance decisions about their condition, such as how to proceed with treatment if symptoms worsen and they lose consciousness.
Whether the patient can truly accept the truth is often a concern for relatives and family members. In cases of concealment, due to the progressive symptoms and attentive care from relatives, patients can often anticipate their condition. Truthful disclosure gives patients the opportunity to prepare mentally for the symptoms and future treatments, including preparing for a peaceful passing.
However, the method of disclosure requires communication skills from the relative responsible for this task, such as:
- Choosing an appropriate place for the conversation, with a private atmosphere and no disturbances.
- Using simple, easy-to-understand language with a gentle tone and sincere, friendly demeanor.
- Observing the patient’s reactions carefully during the conversation without rushing.
- Not leaving immediately after delivering the news, as the patient may have questions or need comfort.
- Answering the patient’s questions honestly, explaining the doctor’s diagnosis results, and providing encouragement and reassurance that relatives and the medical team are ready to support, advise, and choose the best treatment plan.
Advance Care Planning
Once the patient understands their symptoms and the situation of their illness, the caring relatives should ask the patient about their wishes, as advance care planning should be done while the patient is still conscious and aware.
- Planning the type of care desired, such as alternative medicine, current medical treatment, or a combination.
- Asking whether the patient prefers to stay at home, in the hospital, or a combination.
- In the final stage, deciding whether to use life-sustaining medical technology, such as cardiac resuscitation or tracheostomy for mechanical ventilation.
- Determining who the patient wants to appoint as a decision-maker if they cannot communicate normally.
- How the patient wishes to receive psychological comfort, such as prayer, making merit, or giving alms.
- What the patient wants to do to fulfill any remaining wishes or dreams.
- Preparing legal documents to express the patient’s intentions, etc.
Once relatives know how many months a terminal patient can live, preparing and planning appropriate care is essential. The most important aspect relatives should focus on when caring for terminal patients is providing encouragement, as patients often feel better when loved ones help care for them. At the same time, relatives or family members will feel less burdened or emotionally wounded after the patient passes if the care provided was appropriate.
