Nutrition at the End of Life - Ethical Aspects

Nutritional problems at the end of life are of multifactorial origin, they require an interdisciplinary and multiprofessional approach. A basic precondition in deciding a nutritional therapeutic intervention is a valid medical indication. Fundamental ethical principles have to be respected. Another relevant question is if the nutritional therapeutic intervention will serve a meaningful, attainable goal in accordance with the patient's individual preferences and whether the expected benefit outweighs the potential risks. Particularly in older patients with a higher risk of cognitive impairment there is the question of the patient's ability to communicate his/her personal preferences, if he/she is able to give informed consent. Nutritional problems, particularly the refusal to eat can present a burdensome situation for the patient's carers. The potential reasons and causes for these problems have to be evaluated by an interdisciplinary assessment and medical differential diagnosis. This process has to involve the patient, his family and carers, ethical and palliative care counsel should be available. The topic of artificial feeding by means of a percutaneous gastrostomy - its relevance in the end of life situation, particularly in advanced stages of dementia is also addressed.