in chronic pain. Started in 1993 as a registered society, it has been a WHO Demonstration Project in palliative care for the developing world since 1996.
What is palliative care?
'Palliative Care', also called 'comfort care', is primarily directed at providing relief to a person having incurable illness through symptom management and pain management. The goal is not to cure, but to provide comfort and maintain the highest possible quality of life for as long as life remains. Well-rounded palliative care programs also address mental health and spiritual needs.
The focus is not on death, but on compassionate specialized care for the living. Palliative care is well suited to an interdisciplinary team model that provides support for the whole person and those who are sharing the person's journey in love.
For most patients, physical pain is only one of several symptoms. Relief of pain should therefore be seen as part of a comprehensive pattern of care encompassing the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of suffering. Physical aspects of pain cannot be treated in isolation from other aspects, nor can patients' anxieties be effectively addressed when patients are suffering physically. The various components must be addressed simultaneously.
The World Health Organisation defines palliative care as "the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment. Control of pain, of other symptoms, and of psychological, social and spiritual problems, is paramount. The goal of Palliative Care is achievement of the best quality of life for patients and their families."
No comments:
Post a Comment