4 Management of the end of life phase in Parkinson’s

In the previous section, we explored some of the challenges of managing and predicting the end of life in Parkinson’s, highlighting the need for advance care planning.

In this section, we take a more detailed look at the management of the end of life phase of Parkinson’s. Taking a holistic approach, we look in depth at the management of the physical, psychological, spiritual and social aspects of end of life care. We will highlight the importance of including and supporting the family or those closest to the person with Parkinson’s throughout this end of life phase, and working with the multidisciplinary team to meet their needs.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this section you should be able to identify and describe the following:

  • The indicators of the end stage of life.
  • The 4 areas of end of life care which focus on quality of life.
  • The in-depth management of physical, psychological, spiritual and social aspects of the end of life stage.
  • The needs of the family and/or carer during the end of life stage.
  • The actively dying phase of Parkinson’s and its management.
  • The importance of bereavement care for the family and/or carers.

3.7 Summary of section 3

4.1 What are the indicators for the end stage of life?