終末(しゅうまつ)医療(いりょう)

Medical care provided to patients with incurable, terminal conditions, focusing on comfort rather than cure. Composed of 終末(しゅうまつ) (end, final stage) + 医療(いりょう) (medical care). This is a major topic in Japanese society given the rapidly aging population.

Common collocations

• 終末(しゅうまつ)医療(いりょう)のあり方(かた) — the way end-of-life care should be
• 終末(しゅうまつ)医療(いりょう)を受(う)ける — to receive end-of-life care
• 終末(しゅうまつ)医療(いりょう)に携(たずさ)わる — to be involved in end-of-life care
• 終末(しゅうまつ)医療(いりょう)の現場(げんば) — the end-of-life care setting

Key concepts

• 緩和(かんわ)ケア — palliative care (focuses on pain relief and comfort)
• ホスピス — hospice (specialized facility for terminal patients)
• 尊厳死(そんげんし) — death with dignity
• 延命(えんめい)治療(ちりょう) — life-prolonging treatment
• 看取(みと)り — watching over a dying person (attending to someone at the end of life)

Similar words

• ターミナルケア — terminal care (loanword synonym)
• 緩和(かんわ)ケア — palliative care (broader; not limited to the very end of life)
• 在宅(ざいたく)医療(いりょう) — home medical care (may overlap with end-of-life care at home)