Empirical Research on End-of-Life Care at Special Nursing Homes for the Elderly in Japan

本研究的主要目的是了解老人院临终关怀的实际情况，以及老人院临终关怀的种类。向日本全国600家特殊养老院发送了一份询问清单，以调查在那里死亡的居民的时间、地点和状况，以及如何照顾垂死者。在600个设施中，有158个作出了答复，并对它们进行了分析研究。调查从1999年4月至2000年3月进行了整整一年。通过这项研究，以下事实浮出水面：1。死亡年龄：居民年龄越大，死亡的可能性越大。2.在设施中度过的时间长度：50%在入院后三年内死亡。3.死亡地点：36.7%死于设施内，63. 1%死于医院。4.死亡时的日常生活活动：54。1%的人处于严重的痴呆状态，79. 8%的人卧床不起。5.谁是 ...更多信息 临终时在场者：家属仅占8.9%，机构工作人员占47.8%。从上述调查结果可以清楚地看出，超过50%的养老院居民在进入养老院后三年内死亡。其中，在家中去世的人并不多见，再次证实该设施实际上已成为他们的“养老院”。大多数居民在死亡前大约三个月的日常生活活动能力严重下降，几乎所有人在最后一次呼吸时都卧床不起。对于照顾者来说，这说明了他们的大部分临终护理包括医疗实践，导致他们的负担沉重：除了日常工作，这使他们忙碌，他们进一步承担了个人护理和医疗程序。设施中临终关怀的实际条件在很大程度上取决于它们所处的环境，如地理位置，因此不可避免地存在区域差异。少

The main objective of this study was to unearth the actual conditions of nursing home residents who are in the terminal stage of life and the kinds of care given to them. A list of queries was sent to the 600 special nursing homes for the elderly in all parts of Japan to conduct a survey on the time, place, and condition of residents whose lives had ended there, and how care for the dying is given. Out of 600 facilities, 158 responded, and analytical studies were made on them. The investigation was conducted taking a full year from April 1999 through March 2000. The following facts surfaced through this research : 1. Age of death : The older the resident, the more likely they were to die. 2. Length of time spent at facility : 50 % die within three years of their date of admission. 3. Place of death : 36.7 % die in facilities, and 63. 1 % die in hospitals. 4. Daily Living Activities at the time of death : 54. 1 % were in a severe state of dementia, and 79.8 % were bedridden. 5. Who was … More present at the deathbed : Family accounted for only 8.9 %, and facility staff for 47.8 %. It became clear from the above findings that more than 50 percent of nursing home residents die within three years of entering a facility. Among them, people who die at home are rare, and it is reconfirmed that the facilities have actually become a "retirement home" for them. The state of the Activities of Daily Living of most residents approximately three months prior to death had severely declined, and nearly all were bedridden when they drew their last breath. For the carers, it was illustrated that most of their end-of-life care included medical practice, resulting in heavy loads being imposed on them : Besides their daily routine work, which alone keeps them busy, they were further burdened with personal care and medical procedures. Actual conditions of end-of-life care at facilities largely varied depending on the situation they were, placed in, such as by geographical location, and thus inevitably regional differences were seen. Less