noun
nursing; caring for the sick
General term for looking after someone who is ill or bedridden, often with a sense of attentive care.
母の看取りのために仕事を休んだ。
I took time off work to care for my sick mother.
在宅での看取りを希望する家族が増えている。
More families are hoping to provide nursing care at home.
noun
deathwatch; attendance at a deathbed
Specifically refers to being present and caring for someone in their final moments; often used in hospice or end-of-life contexts.
祖父の最期を看取ることができてよかった。
I'm glad I was able to be with my grandfather at his deathbed.
看取りの経験は看護師にとって大切だ。
The experience of attending a deathbed is important for nurses.
介護 is broader, covering long-term care and assistance with daily living, while 看取り emphasizes watching over and nursing, especially in serious illness or end-of-life situations.
看病 is nursing someone through an illness, often temporary; 看取り implies a more continuous, watchful presence, sometimes until death.
Compound of 看 (watch over, care for) and 取り (noun form of 取る, here meaning 'to take on the role of'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with attentive nursing and end-of-life care.