1. Communication at End of Life
The majority of older people in the survey were not told that they were likely to die . There was a higher proportion of individuals not informed in the older age groups (Figure 2) , with fewer than one in five individuals over 90 years of age being told they were likely to die.
20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 90% 80%
84%
70%
59%
42%
41%
0% 10%
18-59
60-69
70-79 Age Group
80-89
90+
Figure 2. Percentage of people who were not told by a healthcare professional that they were likely to die, by age (n=2,991)
Family and friends also wanted to be kept informed about what to expect when their loved one was dying. For 29% of respondents, neither they nor their loved one who was dying, were told what to expect.
The doctors’ communication with family was poor. They did not advise us that my Dad was so ill and was at end of life and I feel they knew his prognosis and did not communicate this to us until the very end, which led to our family being in shock and not being able to say everything we wanted to say to our dad before he died.
Father, died aged 70-79, in Hospital, County Dublin
10
Telling It Like It Is
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