Nutritionists and palliative care at the end of life: an integrative review

Abstract Nutritional support in palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of the patient through the control of symptoms associated with food, prioritizing the desires of the individual. There are controversies regarding the real contribution of food to the comfort of patients in palliative care at the end of life, and it is still necessary to clarify the specific skills of the nutritionist in this area. In view of these gaps, this review integrative objective to know how nutritionists act with patients in palliative care end of life. The final sample was composed of seven articles that point out differences between conventional nutritional care and in palliative care and present bioethical dilemmas related to food. It is concluded that it is necessary to know better how nutritionists act in the palliative care. Further studies on the topic should be developed, considering not only nutritional aspects, but also the character symbolic of food.