Convent offers model for end-of-life care

The New York Times had a compelling article this week about a convent in New York providing comfort, care and support to elderly sisters at the end-of-life. The sisters in the convent communicate with their social network and their physicians about the care they wish to receive, and ultimately the death they want to have. Most of the sisters die at home in the convent, surrounded and comforted by their loved ones, and without aggressive medical treatment if they so choose. The convent offers a model of care for elderly patients, in which they are able to express their desires, and to be comfortable and at home in their last days. At the core of the model are open communication between patients, physicians and the social network and respect and tender care for patients at the end.