ABSTRACT
Patients approaching the end of life often have many anxieties and concerns, including concerns about their loved ones and how they will be cared for after they are gone.1 Such patients also may have terminal cancer, congestive heart failure, arthritis, or other diseases that cause considerable pain and discomfort. Physicians and other health care specialists caring for patients nearing the end of life have been trained to treat pain and assist with medical decision making; some also refer patients for counseling, arrange for living wills, and deal with family issues. Most physicians have not been trained to deal with the profound spiritual issues and concerns that accompany the end of life. Such issues include forgiveness, unresolved conflicts with loved ones, and the patient’s beliefs in the afterlife. Failure to deal with spiritual concerns when patients are nearing the end of life can have detrimental consequences, including depression, poor medical decision making, grief, and family conflict.
