Each year 85,000 people die in Sweden, the majority in hospital. Many die in pain, apprehension, torment, and loneliness. Yet many of these problems could be averted if all patients knew that they were entitled to terminal care which is good in both human and medical terms. This article illustrates various aspects of terminal care, and shows that rules and norms for such care do not exist today. “Standards of Care for the Terminally Ill” are presented, and the authors advocate the formulation of an aim for humane treatment of dying patients, and its application in a manner appropriate to Swedish medical concepts and Swedish conditions.
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