Terminal Illness
Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured, or adequately treated, and typically results in the death of the patient. This term is usually used for progressive diseases such as cancer, rather than fatal injury. In popular use, it indicates a disease that will progress until death with near absolute certainty, regardless of treatment. A patient who has such an illness may be referred to as a terminal patient, terminally ill or simply as being terminal. There is no standardized life expectancy for a patient to be considered terminal, although it is generally months or less. An illness which will result in premature death, even if that death may be many years away, is called a life-limiting illness. An illness which is lifelong but not life-shortening is called a chronic condition.
Terminal patients usually have options for disease management after diagnosis; examples may include caregiving, continued treatment, palliative and hospice care, and physician-assisted suicide. Decisions regarding management are made by the patient and their family, although medical professionals may offer recommendations of services available to terminal patients.
Lifestyle after diagnosis varies depending on management decisions and the nature of the disease, and there may be restrictions depending on the condition of the patient. Terminal patients may experience depression or anxiety associated with impending death, and family and caregivers may struggle with psychological burdens. Psychotherapeutic interventions may alleviate some of these burdens, and is often incorporated into palliative care.
When terminal patients are aware of their impending deaths, they may want to use the time to prepare for care, such as advance directives (like living wills), which have been shown to improve end-of-life care. While death cannot be avoided, patients can strive to die a death seen as good. However, many healthcare providers are uncomfortable telling people or their families that they are dying. To avoid uncomfortable conversations, they will withhold information and evade questions.
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