4.9 Summary of section 4

In this section we have identified the indicators of the end of life phase and how these can assist us to recognise that the client is entering the end of life. We discussed the 4 aspects of care – physical, social, spiritual and psychological – which make up the elements of holistic, person-centred care. We looked at each aspect in detail and how to manage them.

We also looked at the actively dying phase and the importance of advance care planning in guiding person-centred care. We looked at the role of carers and the stress they experience. We identified the importance of recognising their care needs and offering them information and support to assist them through this phase and in their bereavement.

We hope that you have gained an increased knowledge in the end of life phase in Parkinson’s and that you will feel confident about using this knowledge to enhance your practice. Importantly, we hope you are confident to use it to improve the care provided to all your clients and those closest to them, who are experiencing the end of life.

Quiz questions

Now try Quiz 3 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

This is the third of 3 section quizzes. You will need to try all the questions and complete the quiz if you wish to gain a digital badge. Working through the quiz is a valuable way of reinforcing what you’ve learned in this section. As you try the questions you will probably want to look back and review parts of the text and the activities that you’ve undertaken and recorded in your reflection log.