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.
Although the diseases for which palliation is indicated are usually incurable, there are many ways in which side effects can be managed and prevented. Such side effects may be physical, emotional, social or spiritual. Depending on the nature of the illness, this kind of care may be provided within hospital premises or at home. The choice is also determined by the costs involved and the presence of the patient and their family.
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.
Palliative services require considerable team effort. The multidisciplinary team will have a number of various specialists with training in their specific areas. They have to work together to achieve the same objective which is to meet the various needs of the patient. The number and type of specialists needed is determined by the type of illness being treated. For instance in case of sepsis, an infectious disease specialist may be needed and for cancers, an oncologist would be of great help.
Physical needs relate to the signs and symptoms of the illness. They include, for example, pain, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of appetite among others. Everything possible should be done to get rid of these symptoms. When managing pain for instance, pain relievers should be given liberally regardless of whether there are any short term or long term effects such as addiction and physical dependence.
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.
Palliative care is closely related to hospice care but the two are not synonymous. While palliation can be started at any point following the diagnosis of a potentially terminal illness, hospices come in when the curative possibility has been ruled out. Palliation helps patients in making a slow transition to acceptance that the disease in question may indeed be incurable.
Although the diseases for which palliation is indicated are usually incurable, there are many ways in which side effects can be managed and prevented. Such side effects may be physical, emotional, social or spiritual. Depending on the nature of the illness, this kind of care may be provided within hospital premises or at home. The choice is also determined by the costs involved and the presence of the patient and their family.
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.
Palliative services require considerable team effort. The multidisciplinary team will have a number of various specialists with training in their specific areas. They have to work together to achieve the same objective which is to meet the various needs of the patient. The number and type of specialists needed is determined by the type of illness being treated. For instance in case of sepsis, an infectious disease specialist may be needed and for cancers, an oncologist would be of great help.
Physical needs relate to the signs and symptoms of the illness. They include, for example, pain, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of appetite among others. Everything possible should be done to get rid of these symptoms. When managing pain for instance, pain relievers should be given liberally regardless of whether there are any short term or long term effects such as addiction and physical dependence.
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.
Palliative care is closely related to hospice care but the two are not synonymous. While palliation can be started at any point following the diagnosis of a potentially terminal illness, hospices come in when the curative possibility has been ruled out. Palliation helps patients in making a slow transition to acceptance that the disease in question may indeed be incurable.
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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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