terminaalaiset

Terminaaliset (Finnish: terminaaliset, colloquially terminaalaiset) is a term used in Finnish-language contexts to refer to people who have a terminal illness—conditions that are expected to lead to death in the foreseeable future despite available treatments. The designation is clinical and social, covering a range of diagnoses and stages when curative therapy is no longer effective or appropriate.

Care for terminaaliset focuses on palliative and supportive measures aimed at symptom control, maintaining quality of life, and addressing psychological, social and spiritual needs. Multidisciplinary teams commonly include physicians, nurses, social workers, chaplains and therapists. Hospice services and home-based palliative care are important components, emphasizing comfort, dignity and family involvement.

Communication and advance care planning are central to managing terminal illness. Clear discussion of prognosis, treatment goals and patients’ values supports informed decisions about interventions such as resuscitation, artificial nutrition and hospital admission. Legal frameworks affecting end-of-life choices—advance directives, surrogate decision-making and the legal status of assisted dying—vary by country and influence available options.

Social and ethical considerations include equitable access to palliative care, cultural attitudes toward death, caregiver support and bereavement services. Research and policy efforts aim to improve symptom management, integrate palliative care earlier in disease trajectories and reduce unnecessary interventions near the end of life.