A loved one who is dying must cope with declining health, as well as issues about existence, spirituality, and separation. Our goals of care now change to help the patient live comfortably and include emotional and spiritual support. The dying patient has to cope with a declining physical condition, as well as relevant issues about existence, spirituality, and separation. The patient may need help to make up for loss of function and maintain quality of life for the time he/she has remaining. The family of a dying patient also has special needs that include honest communication, practical and psychosocial support, and bereavement counseling. Physical and emotional demands on the family reach their peak as a loved one approaches the end of life. In this section, we discuss Care of the Dying Care for the Family Death and Dying Websites PBS Online: Before I Die Medline Plus: End of Life Issues WNET On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying

Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City ©2005 Continuum Health Partners, Inc. www.stoppain.org/palliative_care