End of Life Care Special Interest Group (SIG)

The ‘Wish to Die’ in later life: prevalence, longitudinal course and mortality.

WTD amongst community-dwelling older people is frequently transient and is strongly linked with the course of depressive symptoms and loneliness. An enhanced focus on improving access to mental health care and addressing social isolation in older people should therefore be a public health priority, particularly in the current context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Preferred life expectancy and the association with hypothetical adverse life scenarios

The desire to live into advanced ages is significantly reduced by hypothetical adverse life scenarios, with the strongest effect caused by dementia and chronic pain.

Changes in social, psychological and physical well-being in the last 5 years of life

Physical functioning, role functioning and depressive symptoms deteriorate over the last 5 years of life of older people with cancer. End-of-life care needs to put their social and psychological well-being at the centre, alongside physical needs.

Documentation of DNR orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted more widespread and earlier decision-making regarding resuscitation status. Although case fatality rates were higher for older hospitalised patients with COVID-19, many older patients survived the illness. Advance care planning should be prioritised in all patients and should remain as part of good clinical practice despite the pandemic.