Background: Palliative needs in older patients are often not timely identified. The Surprise Question (SQ) ‘would I be surprised if this patient died in the next year?’ is a well-researched tool that could aid in this effort. Most studies thus far involved physicians or specialist nurses, however the …

Background Family caregivers are crucial in end-of-life care. However, family caregiving may involve a significant burden with various negative health consequences. Although nurses are in a unique position to support family caregivers at home, little is known about which nursing interventions are effective …

Determining the onset of the dying phase is important, because care aims and interventions change once this phase begins. In the dying phase, maximising comfort is paramount, even if doing so causes a deterioration of cognitive functions. In this delicate context, it is necessary to give special attention …