Palliative care is as important as any other form of medical assistance or ongoing care. Not only is the patient of concern when it comes to palliative care, but the family that surrounds them as well.
In this post, we’ll take a look at what palliative care is all about, the stages of caring for patients and families, what it encompasses and why palliative care at home is often the preferred choice.
Palliative Care Explained
Palliative care is the term given to looking after a person who has a terminal illness. The patient has been diagnosed with a condition that will limit their life span, generally with a projected life expectancy in mind.
Rather than live the final months or days of their lives in hospital, many patients with a terminal condition opt for palliative care at home, administered by professional palliative care services. This way, the patient has a better quality of life, surrounded by the things they are familiar with and can spend a lot more quality time with their family, friends and even their pets.
This involves receiving the help, assistance and treatment in the home environment that the patient would receive if they were spending their final days in a hospital.
Getting Palliative Care Nursing At Home
The first step in getting home nursing and care for a terminally ill patient is to receive a referral from a GP to a palliative care facility. The organisation that provides palliative care will then assess the medical condition of the patient, the home in which they wish to stay and the care and equipment that will be required to effectively administer palliative care to the patient in that home.
One thing palliative care services focus on is understanding the patient, their family and their specific needs. Every patient is different and so are their individual circumstances. Therefore, to provide effective care, it’s important to get to know the patient, what their needs are and, importantly, what they desire their quality of life to look like in their final days.
Being comfortable and as content as possible is what terminally ill patients are really seeking when they opt for home care services rather than a hospital stay.
Your chosen palliative care services will then work out a home care plan once it’s understood what the wishes and desires of the patient and family are. This plan will take into account these wishes, along with ensuring the proper care for the patient is also administered.
Depending on the patient’s condition and illness, this will include the necessary medical equipment to adequately provide care, medications, specialised beds (if necessary) and anything else deemed to be imperative in the overall care and comfort of the patient.
Part of the process will include moving the patient from the hospital and into the family home once everything has been set up and is ready to go. A smooth and stress-free transition is the goal in this instance.
Once the patient has been relocated to the home, the palliative home care plan that’s already been worked out will be put into play. Palliative care may include full-time nursing, depending on the patient’s specific condition. It will also include liaising with doctors and specialists as required to ensure optimum medical care.
A Brief Overview Of What’s Involved In-Home Care
Exactly what’s involved in-home care for the patient will depend on what condition or illness they have, and the age of the patient as well. Coupled with necessary care will be the patient’s desires and wishes.
Let’s list some common elements involved in effective palliative care:
- Palliative care planning
- Washing and feeding of the patient
- The management of symptoms
- Pain management
- Emotional support
- Domestic help, such as cleaning
- Running errands
- Constipation or incontinence management
- Pressure area care
- Wound management
- Spiritual support
- Assistance and support for family members
- Psychological support
- And more…
There is a lot involved in administering positive palliative care at home, but when you call in professional services, they take care of all the hard work for you.
The Takeaway
Spending their final days in the comfort of their own home is a wish of many terminally ill patients, and expert palliative care services make that desire a reality. To learn more, talk to your GP or palliative care professional.
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