What is Palliative Care
Palliative Care is an approach to life when cure is no longer expected or possible. It is a service given within a multidisciplinary team of nurse specialists, (C.N.S), doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, pastoral care, lead by a consultant in Palliative Care.
Some teams work out of Hospice settings and others work from community based health centres around the country. The ethos and delivery of the service is to deliver the highest possible standard of care, allowing people to maintain their dignity and quality of life. It encompasses the mental, spiritual, physical and emotional aspect of the patient and the extended family too. It enables the patient and family to have a choice of where to spend their last months, weeks or days.
Palliative care is usually considered towards the end stages of life and within a 3 to 4 month life expectancy, and obviously there are exceptions to this.
One of the main aims of palliative care is the excellent control of symptoms due to side effects, and interactions of various medications or chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
It is a very special and privileged time in a persons life, and people react in a variety of ways. Nurse specialists develop a very close relationship with their clients because of the sensitive time at the patients stage of life and the frequency of visits allows the patient and family members to discuss things at different levels thus building a strong and confidential relationship.
How To Access The Palliative Care Service In The Community
The easiest and most direct way to access palliative care within your area is through your G.P. Your G.P in most situations will understand the need of the patient and family to have as much support as possible and G.PÕs work closely with the Clinical Nurse Specialist as well as the General Nursing Services.
The first step is to contact your G.P who will fill in a form, contact the Nurse Specialist who will arrange a visit with you.
The first visit with the Specialist Nurse is to assess the needs of the patient. He or she will with agreement of the patient and family decide what is needed and will also liaise with the General Nursing Services.
Why Would I Need A Palliative Care Team
Sometimes when people are ill, they need to know there is someone they can call on if the have difficult symptoms, or have problems sorting medication. It is also a great support to family members who are caring for someone and they can be reassured that they are doing a good job caring for someone, which is a great commitment.
The role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist is to assist in symptom control, and to empower the family or carers in their role. All services, link in together to provide a high standard of care.