End-of-Life Care at Welfare Evacuation Centers Following the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake

Summary: In response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake on January 1, 2024, Welfare Evacuation Centers were established in Ishikawa Prefecture. These shelters are intended to provide temporary refuge and support for individuals requiring physical and psychological care. During this time, we experienced two cases of end-of-life care within the shelter. These cases highlight the practice of end-of-life care in a welfare shelter, a setting that is far from ideal in terms of both medical resources and personnel. One case demonstrated the possibility of providing an acceptable standard of care, while the other revealed various limitations imposed by the hastily assembled system. The successful integration of external volunteers and careful communication with evacuees contributed to the overall success of end-of-life care in the shelter. These experiences suggest the necessity of implementing external support systems to assist on-site medical personnel during disasters. In Japan, where disasters occur frequently, it is crucial to establish unified guidelines for end-of-life care and conduct regular scenario-based training.