One of the most difficult things for any individual or family to go through is to handle a diagnosis of a terminal illness. Apart from grappling with the certainty of facing death, there are also a myriad of problems that the affected individual has to grapple with. Palliation seeks to consider a patient as a whole rather than simply focusing on their diagnosis. If they intend to get palliative care in Tulsa patients should first understand a number of things on this 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 without a doubt, the commonest condition that necessitates palliation. While some forms of cancer can be treated successfully, there are many others that are malignant and incurable. Although death may be certain for these aggressive cancers, there is a need to have a proper end of life care for the affected patients. Other conditions that may fall in this category include advanced HIV/AIDS, severe brain injury and chronic liver and kidney failure.
Due to the wide nature of services requires, teamwork is important. A multidisciplinary team comprising of various specialists is usually assembled depending on the underlying diagnosis. Each of these specialists has been trained and certified and is skilled in handling patients who fall in this category. Typically, the team is headed by a physician who helps in coordinating the other service providers. Other members may include other doctors, nurses, chaplains, dieticians and social workers among others.
Emotional needs are also very important and should also be addressed with the same vigour as physical needs. Some of the commonest emotional problems patient may have to deal with are anxiety, depression and psychological stress. The severity of the condition will vary from one patient to another and so the management is also individualized. It is important that emotional support be initiated as soon as a diagnosis has been made.
Physical needs are arguably the most pressing for a patient on palliation. They mainly include signs and symptoms related to the condition. The most common among these are pain, nausea, shortness of breath and vomiting. Every effort should be made to make the patient free of these symptoms. When managing pain, for instance, the strongest effective drug should be used regardless of whether or not It is addictive.
Relatives also need to receive special care. They are, in most instances, greatly affected by the sickness of their loved one. It is important that their emotional and psychological needs are addressed alongside those of the patient. While some relatives may find it easy to accept the certainty of death, others struggle to come to terms with the reality and would require counselling during the illness and even after.
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 without a doubt, the commonest condition that necessitates palliation. While some forms of cancer can be treated successfully, there are many others that are malignant and incurable. Although death may be certain for these aggressive cancers, there is a need to have a proper end of life care for the affected patients. Other conditions that may fall in this category include advanced HIV/AIDS, severe brain injury and chronic liver and kidney failure.
Due to the wide nature of services requires, teamwork is important. A multidisciplinary team comprising of various specialists is usually assembled depending on the underlying diagnosis. Each of these specialists has been trained and certified and is skilled in handling patients who fall in this category. Typically, the team is headed by a physician who helps in coordinating the other service providers. Other members may include other doctors, nurses, chaplains, dieticians and social workers among others.
Emotional needs are also very important and should also be addressed with the same vigour as physical needs. Some of the commonest emotional problems patient may have to deal with are anxiety, depression and psychological stress. The severity of the condition will vary from one patient to another and so the management is also individualized. It is important that emotional support be initiated as soon as a diagnosis has been made.
Physical needs are arguably the most pressing for a patient on palliation. They mainly include signs and symptoms related to the condition. The most common among these are pain, nausea, shortness of breath and vomiting. Every effort should be made to make the patient free of these symptoms. When managing pain, for instance, the strongest effective drug should be used regardless of whether or not It is addictive.
Relatives also need to receive special care. They are, in most instances, greatly affected by the sickness of their loved one. It is important that their emotional and psychological needs are addressed alongside those of the patient. While some relatives may find it easy to accept the certainty of death, others struggle to come to terms with the reality and would require counselling during the illness and even after.
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.
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You can find a summary of the factors that determine the cost of palliative care in Tulsa at http://www.millerhospicetulsa.com right now.
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