Position statement from the Japan Geriatrics Society 2012: End-of-life care for the elderly

The Japan Geriatrics Society published a revised version of its position statement regarding the end-of-life care for elderly patients, based on the overall consensus by the members of the ethics committee in 2012. This revision is intended to catch up with current changes of views on the end-of-life care for older people over the past decade. There are many suggestive items regarding the matter in this statement, and the authors believe it will be of specific guidance for those who are caring for older people in their final stage of life in the super-aged society. Also, the statement can be useful in many other countries, where aging of the population is not yet an urgent concern, but will be so in the future. We believe that this “position statement” can offer guidance in an ethical respect for those who are or will be engaged in end-of-life care for older people. We also hope that the release of the current statement provides an avenue for broader discussion in a society with an increasing aged population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 735–739.