Palliative services are an integral part of the overall management of patients with chronic conditions. It is given to improve the life of persons that have been diagnosed with diseases without a known cure. The idea of this kind of treatment is to shift the focus from the illness to the whole individual. Patients wishing to receive palliative care in Tulsa need to understand a number of things in this kind of disease treatment.
Cure is usually out of the picture so the rest of the treatment is directed at preventing and managing the side effects of the primary illness. The side effects may be emotional, physical, spiritual, spiritual or social. Palliative care can be provided at home or in the hospital depending on the nature of the illness. Patients and their relatives are also at liberty in deciding where they would wish to receive the care.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and often requires palliative care especially if metastases have occurred. Although some forms of the condition can be treated, a majority of them cannot and are considered terminal. Persons that have a diagnosis of terminal cancer have a right to dignified living even as they near their end of life. Severe sepsis, liver and renal failure and end stage HIV/AIDS may also require palliation.
Offering palliative services is a product of teamwork. Many different specialists have to work together in coordinated fashion to attend to the needs of the patient. The type of specialists needed largely depends on the exact nature of the illness. Each specialist has special training to handle this type of patients and focuses on just one area. A typical multidisciplinary team would comprise nurses, doctors, dieticians, social workers and religious leaders.
Physical needs relate to the signs and symptoms of the illness. They include, for example, pain, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of appetite among others. Everything possible should be done to get rid of these symptoms. When managing pain for instance, pain relievers should be given liberally regardless of whether there are any short term or long term effects such as addiction and physical dependence.
Physical needs are perhaps the most pronounced in patients with terminal illnesses. They mainly include signs and symptoms of the condition such as nausea, vomiting, pain and shortness of breath among others. Nothing should be held back while trying to manage these symptoms. In managing pain, for example, in managing pain, the strongest pain relievers should not be withheld for fear of dependence or addiction.
There is a need to clearly distinguish between palliation and a related condition, hospice care. The former is usually initiated once a diagnosis of a chronic illness is made. It can be started at any point along the continuum of care. Hospice care, on the other hand, comes at the very end. It is started in patients in whom the disease identified has no known cure.
Palliation is related to but is not the same as hospice services. Palliation is simply supportive treatment that a patient is accorded right from the time a diagnosis is made. Hospice services, on the other hand, are given principally as end of life care when cure for a particular disease is considered impossible. Both of them are, therefore, found on the continuum of care for chronic conditions.
Cure is usually out of the picture so the rest of the treatment is directed at preventing and managing the side effects of the primary illness. The side effects may be emotional, physical, spiritual, spiritual or social. Palliative care can be provided at home or in the hospital depending on the nature of the illness. Patients and their relatives are also at liberty in deciding where they would wish to receive the care.
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and often requires palliative care especially if metastases have occurred. Although some forms of the condition can be treated, a majority of them cannot and are considered terminal. Persons that have a diagnosis of terminal cancer have a right to dignified living even as they near their end of life. Severe sepsis, liver and renal failure and end stage HIV/AIDS may also require palliation.
Offering palliative services is a product of teamwork. Many different specialists have to work together in coordinated fashion to attend to the needs of the patient. The type of specialists needed largely depends on the exact nature of the illness. Each specialist has special training to handle this type of patients and focuses on just one area. A typical multidisciplinary team would comprise nurses, doctors, dieticians, social workers and religious leaders.
Physical needs relate to the signs and symptoms of the illness. They include, for example, pain, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of appetite among others. Everything possible should be done to get rid of these symptoms. When managing pain for instance, pain relievers should be given liberally regardless of whether there are any short term or long term effects such as addiction and physical dependence.
Physical needs are perhaps the most pronounced in patients with terminal illnesses. They mainly include signs and symptoms of the condition such as nausea, vomiting, pain and shortness of breath among others. Nothing should be held back while trying to manage these symptoms. In managing pain, for example, in managing pain, the strongest pain relievers should not be withheld for fear of dependence or addiction.
There is a need to clearly distinguish between palliation and a related condition, hospice care. The former is usually initiated once a diagnosis of a chronic illness is made. It can be started at any point along the continuum of care. Hospice care, on the other hand, comes at the very end. It is started in patients in whom the disease identified has no known cure.
Palliation is related to but is not the same as hospice services. Palliation is simply supportive treatment that a patient is accorded right from the time a diagnosis is made. Hospice services, on the other hand, are given principally as end of life care when cure for a particular disease is considered impossible. Both of them are, therefore, found on the continuum of care for chronic conditions.
About the Author:
You can find a summary of the factors that determine the cost of palliative care in Tulsa at http://www.millerhospicetulsa.com right now.
0 comments:
Post a Comment