When a loved one is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, palliative care offers a stronger layer of support to minimise suffering and improve his/her quality of life. In this video, we cover the principles and aims of palliative care.
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Recap 📝
Palliative Care is an approach to improve the quality of life (QOL) of patients and their families facing problems associated with life-threatening illnesses through prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of pain and other distressing problems be it physical, psychosocial or spiritual.
Anyone with life-threatening illnesses can receive palliative care. These include patients with:
• Advanced cancer
• Chronic organ failure such as kidney, heart and liver failure
• Frailty-related illness such as advanced dementia or Parkinson's Disease
There are various ways to improve QOL by:
• Using medication to treat pain and other symptoms
• Supporting patients and families in complex decision-making and advanced care planning
• Providing psychosocial support to help patients and families in coping with illnesses as well as
• Offering grief and bereavement support
General principles of palliative care:
1. Palliative care affirms life and regards dying as a normal process.
2. The intention of palliative care is neither to hasten nor postpone death.
3. Quality of care is enhanced through management of symptoms such as pain, nausea and vomiting, delirium and others.
4. Palliative care uses a team approach to address the needs of patients and families.
Animation transcript: bit.ly/3kYzLYB
References
1. World Health Organisation. WHO definition of Palliative Care, 2020. Available at: www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/
2. National Guidelines for Palliative Care, 2015. Available at: singaporehospice.org.sg/site2019/wp-content/upload…
3. Goh, LG. Palliative care overview. The Singapore Family Physician. 2016;42(3):24-30.
Content expert: Dr. Laurence Tan
Video producer: Perry Lee
Script composer: Lim Yujun
Voiceover: Joanne Chia
This video is done in collaboration with GERI Institute - www.geri.com.sg/
All rights are reserved to GeriCare and there should not be any reproduction, publication, or adaptation of any part of the video content without prior approval from GeriCare.
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GeriCare PowerFacts is a series of free snack-sized and engaging educational videos, covering topics across Geriatric Care and Palliative care.
For more information, visit our website at www.gericarenorth.com/powerfacts
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