Editing Terminal illness (section)

=== Good death ===
Patients, healthcare workers, and recently bereaved family members often describe a "good death" in terms of effective choices made in a few areas:<ref name="pmid10819707">{{cite journal |vauthors=Steinhauser K, Clipp E, McNeilly M, Christakis N, McIntyre L, Tulsky J |title=In search of a good death: observations of patients, families, and providers |journal=Annals of Internal Medicine |volume=132 |issue=10 |pages=825–32 |date=16 May 2000|pmid=10819707 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-132-10-200005160-00011|s2cid=14989020 }}</ref>

* Assurance of effective pain and symptom management.
* Education about death and its aftermath, especially as it relates to decision-making.
* Completion of any significant goals, such as resolving past conflicts.<ref name="Steinhauser-2000"/>

In the last hours of life, [[palliative sedation]] may be recommended by a doctor or requested by the patient to ease the symptoms of death until they die. Palliative sedation is not intended to prolong life or hasten death; it is merely meant to relieve symptoms.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Claessens|first1=Patricia|last2=Menten|first2=Johan|last3=Schotsmans|first3=Paul|last4=Broeckaert|first4=Bert|date=2008-09-01|title=Palliative Sedation: A Review of the Research Literature|journal=Journal of Pain and Symptom Management|volume=36|issue=3|pages=310–333|doi=10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.10.004|pmid=18657380|doi-access=free}}</ref>