Why palliative care for older people is a public health priority -- Palliative carte: the needs and rights

of older people and their families -- Evidence of underassessment and undertreatment -- Evidence of effective

care solutions -- The challenge for health policy- and decisión-makers -- Recommendations --

Most deaths in European and other developed countries occur in people aged over 65, but relatively little

health policy concerns their needs in the last years of life. As life expectancy increases, the number of

people living to older ages is also increasing in many countries. At the same time, the relative number of

people of working age is declining and the age of potential caregivers is increasing. Palliative care is

therefore of growing public health importance. Older people have traditionally received less palliative care

than younger people and services have focused on cancer. This booklet is part of the WHO Regional Office for

Europe's work to present evidence for health policy- and decision-makers in a clear and understandable form.

It presents the needs of older people, the different trajectories of illnesses they suffer, evidence of

underassessment of pain and other symptoms, their need to be involved in decision-making, evidence for

effective palliative care solutions, and issues for the future. A companion booklet entitled Palliative care

- the solid facts considers how to improve services and educate professionals and the public.

http://www.euro.who.int/document/e82933.pdf

http://www.euro.who.int/document/e82933R.pdf (File size: 1MB)