Palliative Care: What is it, How to Get It, Who Is It Applied?

Palliative care is a type of medical care offered to individuals who have to live with serious illnesses throughout their lives in order to make it easier for them to cope with their illness. The aim of palliative care is to reduce the symptoms of the disease that threatens the life of the individual and to reduce the stress experienced by the patient. Thus, the quality of life of both the patient and their relatives can be improved. There is a special center for palliative treatment and a special team to administer the treatment. Palliative care is determined according to the needs of the patient and its content may differ from patient to patient. You can read the rest of the article to learn more about palliative care.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care center is one of the important departments in the field of health. Palliative care can be applied to help individuals with a serious or life-threatening illness lead a better life and increase their comfort. Palliative practices may vary from person to person; however, it generally provides physical, mental and educational care. The aim of palliative care, which takes into account the wishes of the patients, is to improve the general health status of the patients. Palliative care, sometimes called supportive care, addresses the symptoms and stress experienced by patients who have had to live with a chronic illness. It can also provide support for patients' relatives and caregivers. More than one goal is determined in the palliative care plan, which is shaped according to individual needs. These goals can be listed as follows:

• Relief of all symptoms, including the side effects of the treatment administered to the patient
• Preventing the progression of the disease by closely monitoring
• Determining the material and moral needs and meeting this
• Helping the patient cope with the emotional changes that occur with the disease
• Assisting the patient in understanding the appropriate treatment method for the disease, deciding on treatments, and coordinating the care plan
• Identifying and accessing additional resources to provide holistic support to the patient

How to Get Palliative Care

Some conditions for receiving palliative care is necessary. First of all, see a doctor or healthcare professional. Consulting your specialist about your illness and condition can help determine if you are eligible for palliative care. When it is determined that you need palliative care, your doctor may refer you to a palliative care service. When applying to the doctor for palliative care, the patient can present the symptoms of the disease he has and the effects of these symptoms on his daily life in the form of a list. He should also tell the doctor about the medications used and his past medical history. It may be helpful for you to have a friend or family member with you when applying for palliative care. Once the doctor has made your referral to palliative care, you can prepare a care plan with the palliative care team. While preparing the care plan, the symptoms caused by the disease and the treatment plan you are seeing are taken into consideration. Because the palliative care plan provides care to reduce the patient's symptoms and the side effects of treatment. In addition, while preparing the care plan, the mental health of the patient, family members and how their daily life will be affected are also evaluated. The palliative care plan is carried out in conjunction with other treatments the patient receives. If the patient's needs change, the palliative care plan may change accordingly. Palliative care may also include more advanced care or end-of-life planning according to the needs of the patient.

For Which Diseases Is Palliative Care Applied?

Palliative care can be an option for many diseases. However, diseases that require palliative care in general can be listed as follows:

Cancer: Both the symptoms of cancer and the side effects in its treatment often negatively affect the quality of life of patients. Therefore, palliative care for cancer patients can be applied. However, palliative care in cancer may include a care plan that differs from person to person. The factors to be considered while preparing these care plans can be listed as follows:

• Type of cancer
• Symptoms
• Type of treatment applied to the patient
• Age of the patient
• Progress of the disease

A patient who has recently been diagnosed with cancer should be able to control the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy and continue after surgery. a can receive palliative care for quick recovery.

Cardiovascular diseases: Cardiovascular diseases can reduce the quality of life of the person and prevent him from meeting his daily needs. Some cardiovascular diseases requiring palliative care can be listed as follows:

• Heart failure
• Coronary artery disease
• Stroke
• Aortic stenosis

Dementia: Dementia disease can lead to deterioration of brain functions and lead to a decrease in the quality of life of the individual. Dementia greatly affects the following parts of an individual:

• Memory and cognition
• Speech
• Judgement and evaluation
• Behavior

Dementia can also cause high anxiety and stress in individuals. As the individual's dementia progresses, family members and caregivers may have difficulty caring for the patient. Therefore, dementia patients can improve the quality of life of both themselves and their family members by receiving palliative care.
COPD: COPD is a respiratory disease that causes respiratory distress in individuals and can lead to more serious disorders if left untreated. With palliative care, an appropriate care plan can be prepared for patients who have difficulty in breathing and consequently whose quality of life decreases. In addition, shortness of breath can cause high anxiety and insomnia in individuals. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients by educating them on how to manage COPD. Palliative care aims to provide a holistic benefit to the patient by providing both physical and mental well-being. In some cases, patients may also undergo surgical procedures. Palliative surgery center aims to improve the health status of patients by performing appropriate surgical procedures.

Terms of Palliative Care

Palliative care, which is also called supportive care, is a treatment for those who have a serious illness and to cope with this illness. It is applied to patients who need support. Especially chronic patients may need more palliative care as they get older. Palliative care is applied in palliative service and home palliative care according to the patient's condition and wishes. can be obtained. There are several conditions for a patient to be given palliative care. These conditions can be listed as follows:

• The patient is bedridden
• Because he is not fed orally, he is fed enteral (directly feeding the food to the stomach or intestine through a tube) or parenteral feeding
• Having severe pain
• Having a risk of falling due to aging and incontinence (inability to retain liquid or solid stools)
• Developing advanced pressure sores
• Patients with end-stage cancer
• Patients with chronic neurological disease (For example, dementia patients)
• Patients with severe muscle diseases

Paliative intensive care is generally used for chronic diseases for which there is no definitive treatment. Palliative care may be recommended for individuals with However, any individual with a serious and life-threatening illness can receive palliative care. There are many palliative centers providing services in this regard. The admission requirements of these centers for palliative care may vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

The palliative care center aims to improve the quality of life of individuals with serious illnesses by helping them cope with their illness. You can find the frequently asked questions and answers about this subject in the continuation of the article.

What to Do in Palliative Care? The palliative care plan is prepared in accordance with the symptoms, needs and daily lifestyle of the patient to be cared for. First of all, the symptoms experienced by the patient and the side effects of the treatment are discussed and a treatment plan is created for them. With this care plan, it is aimed to increase the quality of life by increasing the comfort of the patient. Some symptoms that can be alleviated or prevented in palliative care can be listed as follows:

• Severe pains
• Nausea and vomiting
• High anxiety and stress
• Respiratory distress
• Sleep problems
• Fatigue and weakness
• Diarrhea and constipation

How Long Does Palliative Care Take? The duration of palliative care depends on the patient's condition and may vary according to the course of the disease. Palliative service generally aims to prioritize the patient's peace and health. love the patient's well-being Palliative care, which aims to increase the number of people, tries to keep the general health status above a certain level. Therefore, palliative care does not have a specific duration. If you think you need palliative care, you can have more comprehensive information about your disease and symptoms by consulting your doctor.

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