Ethical Considerations for Withholding Nutrition and Hydration: End of Life Decisions Seminar

This Seminar is also available On-Site for groups of 20 or more.

Discuss the pros and cons of specific nutrition and hydration options; ethical and legal boundaries for their use, disuse or withdrawal; and historical cases. Develop strategies for working effectively with families in emotional crisis.

Course Description/Agenda

A generation ago, death came suddenly. Medical advances have lengthened the dying process, and it is now possible in many cases to anticipate our mortality. The purpose of advance directives is to make our wishes known in the event we are unable to communicate or lose our decision-making capacity. We expect these wishes to be honored by our health care team and family. However, these directives may be at odds with the wishes of our spouses, children or other family members. Clinicians and patients often have directly conflicting purposes at the end of life. Families find themselves grappling with ethical quandaries. How much care is enough? When a cure is impossible, does using advanced technology make sense? Who decides when to cease the use of life support? As clinicians, our challenge is guiding families in their decision-making process without alienating them.

This seminar will examine end-of-life decisions and provide practical, ethical resolutions to help caregivers work effectively with patients and families. Participants will examine the role of legal documents and ethical guidelines, including advance directives, living wills, benefit vs. burden and autonomy. You will develop communication and counseling skills to help ease the emotional stress of families in the midst of this difficult decision-making process. You will also identify the pros and cons of feeding and hydration options, and their appropriate uses as well as mouth care guidelines. Attendees will discover strategies for developing institutional policies that can facilitate smooth interaction with patients and families in end-of-life situations.

Evaluate the pros, cons and appropriate uses of nutrition and hydration options
Examine ethical decision-making guidelines including benefit vs. burden, quality of life and autonomy
Recognize the role of advance directives, living wills, power of attorney and other legal documents
Learn how to communicate more effectively with the patient and family to alleviate emotional stress
Develop institutional policies for staff education and communication that support ethical and effective treatment of the dying patient

What You'll Learn

Discuss controversial issues and lessons learned from historical cases
Develop strategies for addressing the emotional and psychological needs of the patient and family
Examine ethical decision-making guidelines including benefit vs. burden, quality of life and autonomy
Recognize the importance of advance directives and other legal documents in planning patient care
Identify nutrition and hydration options as well as the pros, cons and appropriate uses of each
Discuss decision-making algorithms and prognostic guidelines
Identify mouth care guidelines for patients undergoing nutrition and hydration therapy

What People Are Saying About the Class

"Denise is a very effective, enjoyable speaker with in-depth knowledge." - Teri Mazur, RD, Fishers, IN

"Great speaker -- very fluent and well-informed!" - Mary Ann Butkosky, SLP, Three Bridges, NJ

More Seminar Information

Cross Country Education
Course Summary	Discuss the pros and cons of specific nutrition and hydration options; ethical and legal boundaries for their use, disuse or withdrawal; and historical cases. Develop strategies for working effectively with families in emotional crisis.
Delivery Method	Seminar
Also Available As	On-Site Training
Who Should Attend	Speech-Language Pathologists, Dietitians, Case Managers, Social Workers, Nurses, Nursing Home Administrators, Clinical Managers, Directors of Nursing, Administrators, Respiratory Therapists