Questions to Ask
Choosing among the different options for care at the end of life can be difficult. Here are some questions that might help you determine what is best for you and your family.
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How long is this person expected to live?
What kind of end-of-life care is needed?
Is the most likely caregiver able to give that kind of care?
Where would the person who is dying want to have this end-of-life care—a facility or at home, for example?
What is the best place to get the type of care he or she wants?
Who will pay for this care?
Can children, grandchildren, friends, pet, etc., visit whenever they want?
Is there a good chance that treatment in an intensive care unit will reverse the dying process, or instead draw it out?
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institute of Health (NIH) leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.