Abstract
This paper examines the controversy regarding the use of feeding tubes at the end of life for terminal patients. The author presents the research from a nursing perspective. Additionally, the paper considers the questions of whether prolonging life with a feeding tube is in the best interest of the patient. The author includes an extensive literature review with regards to patients with dementia, cancer and other end of life issues and reviews what has been concluded about using feeding tubes at this stage. The writer also touches on the issue of living wills.

Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review
References

From the Paper
"The past few years have seen many controversial stories played out in the news regarding end of life feeding tubes and their use. Society lines up on both sides of the issue and hotly debate whether or not using a feeding tube at the end of one's life is something that should be done even if the patient is not capable of consenting. Meanwhile patients all over the nation languish between the two sides of the debate with their families trying to make the most humane and compassionate decision regarding the placement of a feeding tube into their loved one. Many studies have been conducted regarding the use of a feeding tube on a patient who is at the end of life with differing results. With a small risk in the actual placement of the tube the question centers around whether prolonging life with a feeding tube is really in the best interest of the patient. "

Tags:feeding, tubes, elderly, aging, end, of, life, issues, nursing, care, dimentia

Abstract
This paper describes the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and examines possible causes for the condition. A description of the discovery of the disease is followed by a discussion of its symptoms. A significant portion of the paper is a review of current literature regarding causes of Alzheimer's disease. The paper concludes with a description of populations at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Table of Contents
AD History
Suspected Causes of AD
Is AD Contagious?
Is it Caused by Something we Eat?
Other Risk Factors
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Proteins, not necessarily those consumed but rather those made in the body, have also formed a basis for AD research. Pathologist George C. Glenner, in 1983, examined the molecular structure of [beta]-amuloid, a structure that constitutes the tip of the plaques present in AD, and discovered that the concentration of these amyloids is particularly high, appearing like strips of sticky substance spilled on a floor and gumming up the works (Odle, 2003). Since Glenner's work, new research indicates that [beta]-amyloid is toxic to neurons, and could therefore easily lead to cell destruction."

Tags:senile, dimentia, Parkinson's, Disease, elderly

Abstract
This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the book "My Own Country: A Doctor's Story of a Town and Its People in the Age of AIDS" by Abraham Verghese. Specifically, the paper looks at a couple described in the book who come to Dr. Verghese for treatment for AIDS and discusses what is interesting and important about this couple. Dr. Verghese's book is an emotional look at AIDS and how it can affect family, community, and even the physicians who care for AIDS patients.

From the Paper
"Dr. Abraham Verghese is an Indian doctor who came to live and work in Johnson City Tennessee in 1985. Shortly before his arrival, the local hospital where he began to practice admitted its first AIDS patient, and almost overnight, an epidemic seemed to have smacked the small town in the Smoky Mountains. This book chronicles Dr. Verghese's encounters with his own AIDS patients, and how these people profoundly affected his life."

Tags:clyde, vickie, mccray, dimentia, sex, caregiver, wife, ostracizes, community, support, group, nurse