People who receive palliative care along with cancer treatment generally have less severe symptoms, a better quality of life, and greater satisfaction with treatment Palliative care involves comprehensive care of the patient with a disease that does not have to be incurable. Here you find more details How To Get Your Balsimhills Coupon Code
Its main objective is to increase comfort and improve the person’s quality of life by avoiding or reducing, as far as possible, the symptoms of their illness, as well as the side effects derived from the treatments. But what does this attention consist of? How is palliative care in cancer cases?
Palliative care necessarily implies that health administrations take on the challenge of providing comprehensive care. To do this, both the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of the person must be taken into account, as well as the place where this care is provided. Of course, with special emphasis on the period at the end of life and taking into account family members in the grieving process if necessary.
It is estimated that approximately 40 million people worldwide require palliative care each year due to oncological and non-oncological diseases. However, globally, only 14% of people who need it receive this care. Among other obstacles, in many countries there are still not enough trained palliative care workers to meet that need.
What Does Palliative Care Consist Of?
To achieve an improvement in the patient’s quality of life , a multidisciplinary approach is required that covers their health, psychological, social and spiritual needs ; and it is necessary to establish priorities at all times, in order to satisfy basic needs and increase their well-being.
Palliative care also includes the support required by the patient’s family members during the course of the illness and even after the person’s death. Depending on the type of care that is necessary, the patient can receive this palliative care both in a hospital environment and at her home or in residences after the corresponding evaluation carried out by her health team.
People who receive palliative care along with cancer treatment generally have less severe symptoms, a better quality of life, and greater satisfaction with their treatment. You can get palliative care at any age and for any type and stage of cancer.
Palliative Care In Cancer
In recent years, with advances in cancer treatment, more people are living with advanced cancer . It is common for these patients to present intense symptoms, which generate a poor quality of life.
In Spain there has been a rapid growth of palliative care programs and services to respond to the great demand. However, and although it is a right recognized by law, the existing deficiencies in health resources mean that palliative care is not always received as it should.
Among the critical points, the heterogeneity of resources between the different autonomous communities stands out. There are notable differences in the organization, management and allocation of palliative care resources. For example, since 2005 there has been an important development, although uneven, between different provinces, of pediatric palliative care. Therefore, improving accessibility to palliative care for all patients who need it continues to be one of the challenges of health care that, from the Association Against Cancer, we have been pointing out for years.
What Are Palliative Care And What Is It For?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illnesses, through prevention and relief of suffering. through early identification, careful evaluation, and treatment of pain and other physical, psychological, and spiritual problems.
This definition is completed with the following principles on palliative care:
- They provide pain and other symptom relief.
- They affirm life and regard death as a normal process.
- They do not try to hasten or delay death.
- They integrate the spiritual and psychological aspects of patient care.
- They offer a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death.
- They offer a support system to help the family adjust during the patient’s illness and in bereavement .
- They use a team approach to respond to the needs of patients and their families, including emotional bereavement support, when indicated.
- They improve quality of life and can also positively influence the course of the disease.
- They are useful early in the course of the disease, in conjunction with other treatments that can prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and include the necessary investigations. to better understand and manage complex clinical situations.
Health Professionals In Charge Of Palliative Care
The practice of palliative care requires a multiprofessional and interdisciplinary team with specific training to guarantee adequate support for the patient and their families. The professionals who make up these teams are doctors, nurses, psychologists, nursing assistants and social workers. They must be dedicated exclusively to the care of people with chronic, advanced and terminal illness.
There are other profiles that may also be necessary at specific times throughout the course of the disease, such as: physiotherapists, spiritual advisors or volunteers.
The patient’s symptoms are usually changing, which is why they usually require frequent evaluations. Thus, each one of the members of the team helps the patient and his family in those aspects that he may need and promotes the active participation of the family in the patient’s care, indicating the available resources and supporting them in the difficult moments that may arise. throughout the process. They all work together with the common goal of ensuring the best possible well-being for the patient and improving their quality of life and that of their family.
Patients and family members are also prepared to face the loss and prepare the subsequent mourning in a normalized way, trying to facilitate the path for the entire family unit.
Palliative care can be provided from different health structures (specialized palliative care services, primary care and secondary care) and performed in the hospital, in social health centers or at home.
When Is Palliative Care Necessary?
The palliative care strategy of the National Health System is aimed at people of any age who, due to cancer or a chronic progressive disease, are in an advanced or terminal phase.
Palliative care should begin in the early stages of diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, simultaneously with curative treatments. In the same way, even in the final stages of the disease, in which treatment is predominantly palliative, there may be room for attempts at curative measures. On the other hand, grief may require attention during a prolonged phase .
Thus, the transition from curative to palliative care is often gradual. It should be based on the individual needs of the person rather than on a specific period of expected survival.
Palliative Care Unit: How Is It Accessed?
Access to palliative care can be done in different ways:
- Through a referral indicated by the specialists of the reference hospital.
- By indication of primary care professionals ( family doctor).
- In any case, depending on the personal and family needs and the environment in which they find themselves, several different options can be recommended for the best support of the patient.
How Can We Help You From The Association Against Cancer?
The Association Against Cancer is one of the pioneering entities in caring for people with terminal cancer and their families, an activity that we have been developing for more than 20 years. Our first palliative care teams were formed in 1991, expanding the service year after year; we had 62 home units in 2005. Later, the National Health System began to assume care in palliative care, so the number of units of the Association has been reduced over this time.
Currently, we support people with cancer and their families throughout the disease process and offer specialized care at the end of life, thanks to our psychosocial team and our volunteers specially trained for these moments.
Resources
For this we have these resources:
- Home and palliative volunteering
- Psychological and social care at home
- group intervention
- Duel
The home and palliative volunteer service is coordinated by the Association’s professional psychologist or social worker. It has these goals:
- Offer accompaniment, entertainment and animation.
- Help in carrying out procedures.
- Support and discharge the caregiver.
- Provide emotional support.
- Identification of needs and information on basic resources provided by the Association Against Cancer.
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