scholarly journals REINFORCING RIGHT TO LIFE UNDER THE LENS OF PALLIATIVE HEALTHCARE IN INDIA

2021 ◽  
pp. 66-71
Author(s):  
Soham Kulkarni
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Relief Of Suffering ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Judicial Proceedings ◽  
The Government ◽  
Role Of The Government

Provisions to a dignified end to life definitely must be a concern that our constitutional founders had in mind while framing the foundation of our nation. The term "Palliative care" was coined much later. The WHO defined palliative care as "an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual”. The Government of India formed a committee in 2006 to create a national policy for palliative care. However, even after the being hit by Corona times, the National Policy for palliative care has not seen the light of the day. In view of the above, the study aims to explore Palliative Care under the provisions of Article 21 and other fundamental rights; it aims to interrogate the aspect of ‘dignity’; the role of the Government; evolution of the field through judicial proceedings; legal position in other jurisdictions of the world and an urgent need to reinforce “Palliative healthcare” in India.

Principles of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sriram Yennurajalingam
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Supportive Care ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
World Health ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Relief Of Suffering ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization defines palliative care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.” Hospice care, palliative care, and supportive care are the common terms used to describe the delivery of palliative care. They essentially require the same skill sets and are often delivered by the same group of health professionals. This chapter reviews the definition and core principles of hospice and palliative care.

scholarly journals Palliative Care as a Form of Relief for the Dying: A South African Perspective

Obiter ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-370
Author(s):  
Marc Welgemoed ◽  
Henry Lerm
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
South African ◽  
Community Resources ◽  
Current State ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Relief Of Suffering ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
State Of Affairs

This article has a critical look at the current state of affairs in palliative care in South Africa. While euthanasia remains unlawful in South Africa, there is only one alternative – namely, palliative care – to mitigate pain and symptoms, make life tolerable, and ease the emotional stress of dying for patients and their families. Palliative care, unlike euthanasia, has always been regarded as a sound medical practice, ethically, morally and legally. The practice the world over includes family, friends and community. However, no system or legislation has been put in place in South Africa to serve as a guideline for end-of-life practices. The focus of this article is to try to establish guidelines through a multidisciplinary approach that includes the family and makes use of community resources to improve the quality of life of patients and families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering.

Palliative care

2019 ◽  
pp. 147-158
Author(s):  
Susi Lund
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
End Of Life Care ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Life Care ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Relief Of Suffering

Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and their families with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by early assessment and treatment of pain and other problems. It can be provided as part of a more general role, or by specialist palliative care staff who have particular expertise. Referrals for specialist care will often be for pain or symptom management, family support, or spiritual support. End-of-life care aims to enable the person to die with dignity and to manage pain and distressing symptoms. Recognizing the end of life helps practitioners to meet the patient’s needs and prepares their family for the reality of death. Good practice in end-of-life care focuses on effective communication and provision of information, ensuring that patients and their families are fully involved in decision-making and respecting the personal wishes, preferred care setting, and current and anticipated care needs of the patient. Bereavement is frequently encountered in the families of patients prior to, and after, death. Common features of grief can include pining for, and being preoccupied with, the lost loved one, feelings of shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, and anxiety. Complicated grief involves an extended period of grieving, beyond 6 months, with intense feelings and disruption of usual life and activities. The majority of bereaved people do not require specialist support, so screening and assessment identify those at risk or in need of specialist interventions.

Introduction to palliative care

2020 ◽  
pp. 623-628
Author(s):  
Susan Salt
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Underlying Disease ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Difficult Conversations ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Palliative care shifts the focus of care from managing the underlying pathophysiological processes to one that looks at the individual and the impact of life-threatening illness on them and those important to them. It aims to prevent and relieve suffering by means of early identification, assessment, and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual. It focuses on interventions which might improve an individual’s quality of life rather than alter the underlying disease process, and routinely extends support to those important to the individual both during that individual’s lifetime and into bereavement. Challenges to the provision of effective palliative care include prognostic uncertainty, the necessity for engaging in difficult conversations, and the need to deal with a variety of ethical issues.

Effects of a support group programme for patients with life-threatening illness during ongoing palliative care

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anette Henriksson ◽  
Kristofer Årestedt ◽  
Eva Benzein ◽  
Britt-Marie Ternestedt ◽  
Birgitta Andershed
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Group Programme

scholarly journals A Novel Narrative E-Writing Intervention (NeW-I) for Parents of Children with Chronic Life-Threatening Illnesses: Protocol for an Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Hau Yan Ho ◽  
Oindrila Dutta ◽  
Geraldine Tan-Ho ◽  
Toh Hsiang Benny Tan ◽  
Casuarine Low Xinyi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Writing Intervention ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Life Threatening

Abstract Background: Conventionally, psycho-socio-spiritual interventions for parents of children with chronic life-threatening illness begin post child loss. Pre-loss interventions addressing anticipatory grief can improve holistic well-being and grief outcomes among family caregivers of dying patients. Globally, palliative care strives to holistically support patients and their caregivers at the end-of-life. However, inadequacies exist both globally and in Singapore in providing culturally sensitive psycho-socio-spiritual support to parents whose children need pediatric palliative services. Aim: A novel evidence-based Narrative e-Writing Intervention (NeW-I) is developed to address this gap. NeW-I is a strength-focused, meaning-oriented and therapist-facilitated mobile app and web-based counseling platform that aims to enhance quality of life, spiritual well-being, hope and perceived social support, and reduce depressive symptoms, caregiver burden and risk of complicated grief among parents facing their child’s chronic life-threatening illness. Methods: The design of NeW-I is informed by an international systematic review and a Singapore-based qualitative inquiry on the lived experience of bereaved parents of children with chronic life-threatening illness. The online NeW-I platform and the relative anonymity it offers to participants is sensitive to the unique cultural needs of Asian family caregivers who are uncomfortable with emotional expression even during times of loss and separation. Together with four local pediatric palliative care providers, NeW-I is implemented in Singapore as an open-label pilot randomized controlled trial with 72 parents. Potential effectiveness of NeW-I and accessibility and feasibility of implementing and delivering the intervention are assessed. Discussion: NeW-I aspires to improve psycho-socio-spiritual well-being of parents facing their child’s chronic life-threatening illness through a structured cyber-counseling platform, thereby enhancing holistic pediatric palliative care and parental bereavement support services. Findings from this pilot study will inform the development of a standardized NeW-I protocol and further research to evaluate the efficacy of NeW-I in Singapore and in other Asian communities around the world.

The use of personal narratives in hospital-based palliative care interventions: An integrative literature review

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 1255-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stine Gundtoft Roikjær ◽  
Malene Missel ◽  
Heidi Maria Bergenholtz ◽  
Mai Nanna Schønau ◽  
Helle Ussing Timm
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Life Review ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Care Practices ◽  
Critical Appraisal Skills

Background: People living with life-threatening illness experience unmet existential needs despite the growing research and clinical field of palliative care. Narrative interventions show promise in managing these problems, but more knowledge is needed on the characteristics of narrative interventions and the feasibility of using personal narratives in a hospital. Aim: To review the literature on personal narratives in hospital-based palliative care interventions and to strengthen palliative care practices. Design: We conducted a systematic integrative review with qualitative analysis and narrative synthesis in accordance with PRISMA where applicable (PROSPERO#:CRD42018089202). Data sources: We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cinahl, SocINDEX and PsychInfo for primary research articles published until June 2018. We assessed full-text articles against the eligibility criteria followed by a discussion of quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Results: Of 480 articles, we found 24 eligible for this review: 8 qualitative, 14 quantitative and 2 mixed methods. The articles reported on dignity therapy, legacy building, outlook, short-term life review and life review. Data analysis resulted in five themes: core principles, theoretical framework, content of narrative, outcome and, finally, acceptability and feasibility. Conclusion: Various types of systematic palliative care interventions use personal narratives. Common to these is a shared psychotherapeutic theoretical understanding and aim. Clinical application in a hospital setting is both feasible and acceptable but requires flexibility regarding the practices of the setting and the needs of the patient.

Psychosocial Palliative Care

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
International Psycho-Oncology Society
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Symptom Control ◽  
Physical Symptom ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Online Resource ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Psychiatric Complications ◽  
And Training

This online resource guides the psycho-oncologist through the most salient aspects of effective psychiatric care of patients with advanced illnesses. It reviews basic concepts and definitions of palliative care and the experience of dying, the assessment and management of major psychiatric complications of life-threatening illness, including psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic approaches, and covers issues such as bereavement, spirituality, cultural sensitivity, communication and psychiatric contributions to common physical symptom control. A global perspective on death and palliative care is taken throughout, and an appendix provides a comprehensive list of international palliative care resources and training programs.

Experiential Palliative Care Immersion: Student Nurse’s Narratives Reflect Care Competencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (10) ◽  
pp. 1465-1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni L. Glover ◽  
Hanna Åkerlund ◽  
Ann L. Horgas ◽  
Susan Bluck
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Individual Values ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing Students ◽  
Undergraduate Nursing ◽  
Immersion Experience ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Compassionate Communication

Many nurses report a lack of confidence providing care for patients facing a life-threatening illness. Palliative care leaders have devised primary palliative nursing care competencies (CARES [Competencies And Recommendations for Educating undergraduate nursing Students]) that all students should achieve. In this study, nursing students participated in an innovative palliative care immersion experience, the Comfort Shawl Project. We performed a reliable content analysis of their narrative reflections. The goal was to evaluate whether reflections on their interactions with patients/families were consistent with CARES competencies. Nine female students wrote reflections after gifting each of the 234 comfort shawls to patients. Four CARES-related categories were analyzed: Individual Values and Diversity, Compassionate Communication, Fostering Quality of Life, and Self-Insight and Emotion. Reflections were highly representative (41%) of recognizing Individual Values and Diversity, representing sensitivity for patients’ unique differences in values, an integral component of palliative care. The Comfort Shawl Project shows promise as an experiential immersion for introducing nursing students to CARES competencies.

Palliative care

2019 ◽  
pp. 865-872
Author(s):  
Joseph O’Neill
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Key Management ◽  
Low Resource ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Humanitarian Crises ◽  
Palliative Care Services ◽  
Life Threatening

This chapter covers a fundamentally important and often overlooked area of medicine, and outlines how even in humanitarian crises palliative care principles should be applied to relieve suffering for those with life-threatening illness. As not all humanitarian situations allow comprehensive textbook palliative care services for all patients, this chapter provides the underlying principles of palliation, implementation in low-resource environments, and key management components to allow adoption in varying contexts.

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