What it means
A disease that treatment can no longer cure or control, so that death is expected, often within months. In the United States, hospice care is usually offered when a provider expects that the person has six months or less to live if the disease follows its usual course. Care shifts toward comfort, symptom relief and quality of life.
For the nurse
Focus on comfort (pain, breathing, nausea, skin), support the client's own choices and advance directives, and include the family in teaching and in grief support.
At a glance
| Spanish | enfermedad terminal |
|---|---|
| Also written | terminal illnesses |
Related terms
palliative care
Care that relieves pain, other symptoms and stress for people with serious illness, at any stage and alongside other treatment.
hospice
Care for people expected to live about six months or less, focused on comfort and quality of life rather than cure.