End-of-life care in South Africa : important legal developments

Abstract

All healthcare practitioners should be aware of ethical principles and legislation relevant to end-of-life care. The aim of this scientific letter is to highlight some important South African legal developments that might be especially important for practitioners taking care of vulnerable populations, such as older patients with serious mental illness. A recent unpublished descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study that was conducted at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, in Gauteng, South Africa, found that two thirds of 100 participants older than 60 years of age and diagnosed with a serious mental illness had end-of-life decision-making capacity. This highlights the importance of initiating advance care discussion with this vulnerable population. With the ongoing and important legal developments in South Africa, this population should not be excluded from access to humane end-of-life care that is in keeping with their preferences and values.