["Accompanying the dying process" - A guide to dealing with the dying and their relatives].

Recognizing the dying phase is often a major challenge for professional carers. The associated adaption of medical and nursing measures and knowledge of options for drug and non-drug symptom control, including off-lable-use (OLU), are the basis of care for the dying. Treating the dying also always means caring for the informal carers as a unit of care. With the help of a multi-professional team, it is possible to meet the needs of patients and their family caregivers in all dimensions of a human being. Meeting the existential needs of the dying and their relatives requires a benevolent attitude on the part of those treating them, an awareness of the importance of communication and a willingness to accept dying. When patients are preparing to die, we can take their wishes into account, such as the place of death.