Palliative Care for the Older Patient: Institutional options.

Many older individuals living in long-term care facilities or in the community develop illnesses for which palliative care is appropriate. There are different approaches for providing such care within institutions, each with its own positive and negative attributes. Whichever formula or combinations of design are chosen, it is important to define the parameters by which patients are admitted to palliative care programs to make sure that their needs are met and that the program is as effective as possible.