Palliative care: what it is (in simple words), types and features

Palliative care means supporting the patient to reduce the severe symptoms of the disease. It does not include treatment. Palliative care improves the quality of life of the person who is ill. This ranges from pain reduction to support in dealing with depression.

Features of palliative care

It is a comprehensive care for a seriously ill person. Not only treatments, but also human support. What is included in palliative care:

• Reducing pain with the help of procedures and medications.
• Slowing down the progression of the disease.
• Psychological support, which includes adaptation to the diagnosis and deterioration of health, rehabilitation after medical interventions, help with depression.
• Social support is necessary if the patient's living conditions are to be improved. Specialists can help to get help from the state, inform about available benefits, pensions, if they are provided by the state.

The principles of palliative care are described in a special document called “White Paper”. It includes such postulates:

• Respect for the dignity and autonomy of the sick person. The patient receives palliative care only with his/her consent or with the permission of relatives and guardians, if he/she cannot make such a decision on his/her own. The sick person shall be treated with sensitivity, respect and personal values.
• The palliative care provider cooperates with the patient and his/her next of kin when planning various activities and procedures.
• The patient's condition is constantly monitored and changes in support methods are made if necessary.
• Palliative care includes communication with the sick person, assistance in socialization, if he or she is withdrawn.
• Support is provided by specialists from different fields: social workers, psychologists, doctors of different specializations.
• Assistance is also provided to relatives of the sick person.

Types of palliative care

Such support is provided to a person in different conditions. This is not only specialized centers. Palliative care is divided into three types:

• Caring for the patient in a hospice. In such institutions is located terminally ill people. There they are provided with a place to stay and assistance in reducing the intensity of pain attacks, nausea. Hospice also takes care of socializing and entertaining the patients. Such an institution is referred to by a doctor.
• Terminal palliative care is support for a person in the last days of their life.
• Weekend care is the calling of palliative care specialists to the home so that relatives or a permanent caregiver can rest.

Palliative care can be provided in the home on an ongoing basis. In such cases, the specialist is not with the patient around the clock. He or she comes at an agreed time. Palliative care is carried out on an outpatient basis in a medical facility. The patient is relieved of pain, given counseling, when he independently comes to the appointment. Inpatient palliative care is carried out in a hospital department where the patient stays around the clock.