Long‐term care nurses’ attitudes and the incidence of voluntary stopping of eating and drinking: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract

Aims:To assess the incidence of voluntary stopping of eating and drinking in long-term care and to gain insights into the attitudes of long-term care nurses about the voluntary stopping of eating and drinking. Design: A cross-sectional studyMethods: Heads of Swiss nursing homes (535; 34%) answered the Online-Survey between June and October 2017, which was evaluated using descriptive data analysis. Results:The incidence of patients who died in Swiss nursing homes by voluntarily stopping eating and drinking is 1.7% and 67.5% of participants consider this phenomenon highly relevant in their daily work. Most participants (64.2%) rate voluntary stopping of eating and drinking as a natural death accompanied by health professionals and patients are also granted the right to care (91.9%). This phenomenon is expected by the participants less at a young age and more in old age. Conclusion:Participants' overall views on the voluntary stopping of eating and drinking are very positive, whereas it is assumed that voluntary stopping of eating and drinking is a phenomenon of old age. Professionals still lack sufficient knowledge about this phenomenon, which could be clarified through training.

Family physicians’ perspective on voluntary stopping of eating and drinking: a cross-sectional study

“…4 , 7 , 8 , 11 In published studies, one- to two-thirds of participating healthcare professionals have accompanied at least one person during VSED. 3 – 8 The occurrence of deaths attributable to VSED in Europe is between 0.4% to 2.1%, and a high number of unreported cases can be expected. 4 , 7 , 8 , 11 …”

“… 3 – 8 The occurrence of deaths attributable to VSED in Europe is between 0.4% to 2.1%, and a high number of unreported cases can be expected. 4 , 7 , 8 , 11 …”

“…2 Besides assisted suicide, which is legal or prohibited depending on legal regulations, another option to end one's life prematurely is by voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED), which has become the recent focus of end-of-life practices. [3][4][5][6][7][8] VSED is the act of a person who consciously refuses to eat or drink with the intention of dying. 9 Healthcare professionals are therefore not charged with providing a lethal drug to the patient but rather with caring for and accompanying the patient from the beginning of VSED until her or his death.…”

“…4,7,8,11 In published studies, one-to twothirds of participating healthcare professionals have accompanied at least one person during VSED. [3][4][5][6][7][8] The occurrence of deaths attributable to VSED in Europe is between 0.4% to 2.1%, and a high number of unreported cases can be expected. 4,7,8,11 The Swiss are very open and have conversations about the desire to die; Swiss people attach great importance to making self-determined end-of-life decisions.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8] The occurrence of deaths attributable to VSED in Europe is between 0.4% to 2.1%, and a high number of unreported cases can be expected. 4,7,8,11 The Swiss are very open and have conversations about the desire to die; Swiss people attach great importance to making self-determined end-of-life decisions. 12 Alongside the already keen interest in legal assisted suicide in Switzerland, as evidenced by the growing membership in 'euthanasia organisations', 13 there is also a growing public interest in VSED.…”