Withholding treatment and intellectual disability: Second survey on end-of-life decisions in Switzerland:

摘要

Background:As people live longer, they are more likely to die over a prolonged period from incurable, chronic illnesses that occur more frequently in old age. Therefore, people will experience an increase in end-of-life discussions and decisions.Aim:The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and nature of end-of-life decisions for people with disabilities in Swiss residential homes.Design:A cross-sectional survey in the three biggest German-speaking regions in Switzerland (N?=?209) was conducted.Setting:All of the residential homes for adults with disabilities (N?=?209) were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey. The response quote was 76.7%. Directors provided information on 82 deaths. Chi-square and t-tests were used to study differences in prevalence and nature of end-of-life decisions between people with intellectual disability (ID) and people with other disabilities.Results:An end-of-life decision was taken in 53.7% of the cases (n?=?44). For people with ID, the decision to with...