What is palliative care?
A serious condition like cancer or heart failure requires specialized medical care called palliative care. In addition to the treatment intended to cure their serious illness, patients in palliative care may also get medical care for their symptoms. Palliative care aims to improve a patient’s current medical care by emphasizing both the patient’s and their family’s quality of life.
Patients and their caregivers are supported by palliative care through a team approach. This comprises catering to practical requirements and offering peer support counseling.
Palliative therapy does not treat or cure the disease, although it may make a person feel more comfortable. When a person receives palliative care, they may continue to receive cancer treatment. From the time of diagnosis until the end of life, palliative therapy may be offered alongside other forms of care.
Who can benefit from palliative care?
Anyone experiencing a serious condition, such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and many others, can benefit from palliative care. Palliative care can be helpful at any stage of the disease and is best provided soon after a person is diagnosed.
Palliative care can assist patients in understanding their options for medical care in addition to enhancing quality of life and easing symptoms. Elderly palliative care, one of the useful cares for seniors experiencing a general discomfort and incapacity.
There are choices for home-based or community-based palliative care, despite the assumption among many patients that such treatment is always provided in a hospital setting. The diverse members of the care team, including doctors, nurses, mental health specialists, and psychologists, are still involved in home-based palliative care, but the patient receives treatment in the comfort of their own home.
The Athulya palliative care nursing team works to enhance the standard and quality of life for patients and their families while taking into consideration the values and beliefs. Our medical professionals have received specialized training in order to treat patients with compassion and consideration that calms them and improves how they view their lives.
Athulya Assisted Living in chennai not only takes care of you, but they also add another level of support and beliefs for you to hold while you are bedridden and receiving the appropriate care.
“Areas of concern” and needs for palliative care
- Focus on pain, weakness, breathlessness, insomnia, poor appetite, and constipation while providing good symptom control.
- Change the patient’s lifestyle to adapt their low energy level and suggest fall preventative measures.
- Change the focus from “disease control” to “offering comfort care.” Interactions with doctors or geriatricians as necessary to provide high-quality care for difficult issues.
- Encourage the family and the community to be active in the patient’s care and well-being and put safeguards in place to prevent abuse.
- Help the family connect with and access the numerous community and governmental resources. Make an effort to create an atmosphere where people are considerate of one another’s needs.
- Recommend that the senior’s community, family, and friends get involved with him or her.
- Build connections, offer help, and plan for the family to obtain respite care with the help of the community.
Some of the benefits of palliative care are:
Support for symptom control
According to a 2017 assessment by Trusted Source on patients with terminal cancer, palliative care specialists may aid clients with symptom and pain management.
Improved standard of living
Those who got palliative care scored three points higher on the quality-of-life scale than those who received standard treatment, according to a 2020 study in Trusted Source, of patients with Parkinson’s disease and related diseases.
Decreased chance of depression
When advanced cancer is first diagnosed, early palliative care is associated with a lower risk of depression.
Assistance with decision-making
In order to make decisions regarding their care, treatment for their sickness, and support in emotionally coping with the diagnosis, persons diagnosed with a serious illness and their families receive support from palliative care specialists.
Support for caregivers and family members.
Palliative care can involve advice on how to care for a loved one with a serious illness as well as emotional support for family members.
