Veteran preferences for end-of-life care

Understanding one's disease and prognosis is a difficult thing for anyone to be faced with. Thinking about end-of-life issues can be incredibly stressful, and this is true for individuals who have knowledge of the options and services that are available to them. Not having knowledge about these issues can make facing decisions confusing, to the point of impossible. In addition, not having awareness of options when facing a terminal illness could mean missing out on receiving a lot of healthcare needs that others who have been provided with education and planning around these issues are afforded with. It is necessary that this very important aspect of care, education about palliative care, hospice, comfort care and advanced directives begin in primary care clinics, before individuals find themselves in acute care with so many unknowns.