Question

define and describe the principles and benefits of the palliative approach to care and provide at least three examples of how the approach prevents and relieves suffering within it's scope

Answer 1

Defination : Palliative care is the care of patients with active, progressive, far-advanced disease, for whom the focus of care is the relief and prevention of suffering and the quality of life.

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

Principles of Palliatative Approch to Care:

• Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
• Integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of care
• Neither hastens nor postpones death
• Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process
• Offers a support system to help patients’ families cope during the patient’s illness and in their own bereavement
• Offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death

Benifits of pallitative Approch to care:

• Improves quality of life
• Focuses on body, mind and spirit
• Puts the patient’s desires, goals and decisions first
• Provides pain and symptom control
• Helps patients and families understand treatment plans
• Reduces unnecessary hospital visits
• Supports the patient and family

Palliative care for Cancer

Palliative cancer care varies depending on the type of cancer, as well as symptoms, treatment, age, and prognosis. Cancer is one of the most common illnesses associated with palliative care, as both symptoms and treatment can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Someone with a recent cancer diagnosis might receive palliative care to manage the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation, or to help them recover after surgery. Palliative care for cancer often includes treatments for depression or anxiety, and tools to help family members plan for the future. Cancer is one of the most common illnesses associated with palliative care, as both symptoms and treatment can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

Palliative care for dementia

Dementia is associated with deteriorating brain function. It greatly impacts a person’s cognition, memory, language, judgment, and behavior. Palliative care might include treatment for anxiety caused by dementia. As the illness progresses, it might involve helping family members make difficult decisions about feeding or caring for their loved one. It can also involve support for family caregivers.

Palliative care for COPD

Palliative care can help manage COPD, a respiratory illness that causes coughing and shortness of breath. For this condition, palliative care might include treatments for discomfort, anxiety, or insomnia associated with difficulty breathing. You might receive education on lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking, that can improve your activity level and slow the progress of your illness.