Importance of emotional support in palliative care
A chronic disease or a terminal illness can severely limit one's freedom. Individuals can, however, choose how they want to be comforted and cared for; this is when the palliative care provider like Nurses Group Homecare enters the picture.
Palliative care is a method of enhancing the quality of life for patients (both adults and children) and their families who are suffering from the effects of a life-threatening illness. Palliative care is a type of support that focuses on the individual rather than the disease. Many people confuse palliative care with end-of-life care.
What is the distinction between palliative and end-of-life care?
Palliative care can begin at any stage of a patient's illness and can last for years if necessary. End-of-life care, on the other hand, may begin in the final stages of life (usually with less than a year left of life expectancy). Palliative care plans can coexist with end-of-life care.
Here are some of the services that people and their families receive on a regular basis as they progress through the stages of palliative care:
1. Handling of physical symptoms and pain with the right medicine and by dealing with any side effects that these treatments may cause.
2. Offering emotional, practical, and spiritual support as well as assisting you in coping with whatever you are experiencing.
3. Providing daily assistance with activities such as washing, cooking, dressing, etc.
4. Assisting in comprehending the condition and how it is likely to progress.
5. Directing the individual and their families to any additional resources that may be useful.
6. Making advanced care plans, such as ensuring the individual's wishes are properly documented and carried out as the illness progresses.
What are the five stages of palliative care?
Palliative care is divided into five stages, each focusing on support at a different point in someone's journey. Understanding these stages can help in making decisions about the support and ensuring that the individual and their family receive the right support at the right time.
Stage 1: Stable
Creating and carrying out a personalised care plan
Palliative care can begin at any time, but it is most commonly initiated when a person is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. This is when your primary care physician (GP) and other medical professionals work together to determine which palliative services a patient requires now and how these services can evolve as the illness progresses. This plan will be tailored to specific conditions and symptoms.
This initial plan will typically consider the following:
1. Current and future treatment plans.
2. The expected progression of the illness.
3. Medicines and symptom relief.
4. Your initial support preferences, such as whether the person would rather move to a nursing home or have palliative care at home.
During this stage, the palliative care team creates a care plan to keep the client as independent as possible. Some people prefer to move to a nursing home, while others prefer palliative care at home. In this case, a care provider such as Nurses Group Homecare can provide palliative care in the comfort of your own home.
Stage 2: Unstable
Adjusting the palliative care plan and preparing emotionally
If a person's illness gets worse, this is a new medical problem, and the palliative care team needs to change the care plan right away to make sure that their client stays comfortable.
During this phase, the palliative care team will provide emotional and mental support to individuals and their families. Here, the specialist palliative care team might decide to involve qualified counsellors or therapists.
Stage 3: Deteriorating
Shifting to end-of-life care
If a person's overall health and body functions continue to get worse and serious medical conditions start to show up, the palliative care team will start to move towards end-of-life care, evaluating the care plan on a regular basis.
During this phase, increased homecare and psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual support are also considered to make sure the person getting help stays comfortable.
Stage 4: Terminal
Symptom management, emotional, and spiritual support
Terminal palliative care will include extensive physical and medical support provided in the individual's home or in a hospital setting. Individuals may experience the following physical symptoms during this stage:
1. Becoming confined to a bed
2. Having severe mobility issues
3. A reduction or loss of appetite
4. Trouble swallowing solids and medications
5. A serious diagnosis that necessitates daily medical intervention.
During this stage, the primary goal is to keep the affected individual as comfortable as possible by improving the quality of life for them and their families. Additionally, end-of-life medications and spiritual services are available.
Stay 5: Bereavement
Support for family members, loved ones, and carers
In the final stage, the individual with a life-limiting illness has passed, causing pain to their loved ones, carers, and the rest of the palliative care team. The emphasis has shifted from the individual to supporting family members through a variety of bereavement services, such as:
1. Emotional support is provided by designated support groups.
2. If necessary, spiritual assistance.
3. Psychosocial support to assist with grief, loss, and adjustment after the death of a loved one.
The bereavement stage depends on how much support each person needs and for how long.
Importance of emotional support in palliative care
The individual will likely have highs and lows in their emotions throughout their illness. At times they might feel angry, upset, grumpy, or irritable, and other times they might feel very pleasant and positive. They may also be emotionally vulnerable at times. The thoughts during such stages can make the person emotionally unpredictable; in such cases, it is always advisable to seek professional guidance.
These are some of the ways in which palliative support can be provided. They include:
1. Listening to the concerns
The palliative care team is there not to lecture or tell individuals what to do or how to do it, but to let them know they are there to support them. They will listen to their fears and concerns and empathise, and they will assist in exploring and understanding options.
2. Tackle loneliness, depression, and anxiety disorders
As the person is mostly confined to home with less chance to socialise they might feel lonely and eventually fall into depression. The palliative care team will be able to address feelings such as loneliness, depression, or anxiety by identifying early symptoms and assisting the individual in dealing with them.
3. Easing your suffering
There are many possible ways the palliative care team can help ease individual emotional suffering. Many people with serious illnesses are concerned about the meaning of life and whether their lives are important. Some ways to handle such emotional suffering include:
1. Asking the person to write down or record their life story and asking them to think of all the accomplishments and things they have enjoyed doing.
2. The support team might ask the individual to express themselves through art, music, a story, or whatever the individual enjoys doing.
Nurses Group Homecare offers palliative care services to individuals and their families who are living with a life-limiting disease. We have an experienced and skilled palliative care team that can tailor a care plan to your specific needs.