A nurse is providing end-of-life care to a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

End-of-life care focuses on promoting comfort, dignity, and relief from distressing symptoms as a client approaches death. As physiological functions decline, clients often experience decreased oral intake, dry mucous membranes, reduced consciousness, and impaired ability to self-care. Nursing interventions prioritize comfort measures rather than curative treatments. Maintaining oral hygiene is especially important to prevent discomfort and maintain dignity in the dying process. Rationale: A. Providing oral care every 2 to 4 hours is essential in end-of-life care because decreased fluid intake and mouth breathing can cause significant dryness and discomfort. Regular oral hygiene helps prevent mucosal cracking, infection, and unpleasant odor, while improving overall comfort. This intervention directly supports dignity and symptom relief during the dying process. B. Turning the client every 4 to 6 hours is not adequate for preventing skin breakdown in a terminally ill patient. Standard pressure injury prevention typically requires repositioning at least every 2 hours if tolerated. However, in end-of-life care, repositioning is individualized for comfort rather than strict schedules, and excessive movement may cause unnecessary distress. C. Encouraging the client to eat foods high in protein is not appropriate during end-of-life care due to decreased appetite and metabolic changes associated with the dying process. Forcing or encouraging intake may cause discomfort, aspiration risk, and distress. Care at this stage focuses on comfort rather than nutritional optimization. D. Keeping the head of the bed flat is inappropriate in end-of-life care because it can increase the risk of aspiration and respiratory discomfort. Elevating the head of the bed helps facilitate breathing and reduces secretion accumulation in the airway. Positioning should prioritize respiratory comfort and ease of breathing rather than supine positioning.