2016 Lexington Palliative Care Conference: What Is Palliative Care?

2016 Lexington Palliative Care Conference: What Is Palliative Care?

What is palliative care? It is a process that improves the quality of patient life who suffers problematic situations linked with life-threatening illnesses together with their families. All aspects of preventing to much distress like the treatment of the pain, and suffering from physical, emotional, psychosocial and even spiritual are addressed in this type of care. The 2016 Lexington Palliative Care Conference covered all of it.

Palliative care will attempt to relieve pain and depression symptoms on a person, if and when mentally possible. It will make the patient accept the concept of death; to understand that it is inevitable for everyone, but the support system will offer ways on how the patient can live and feel a normal life. This care will also help the families accept the situation of their loved one who is almost dying. It will help them overcome the overwhelming truth and lighten the situation as much as possible. Counseling is also offered in this care, so that it may influence the way of thinking and coping of the patient and their families. It must be addressed as early as when the illness was identified, through the chemotherapy process and when managing medications.

WHO Palliative Care For Children

Palliative care for children is somehow similar to adult palliative care. According to the World Health Organization or WHO, it is the total active care for the child patient. It is the support that gives care to an immensely sick child’s physical, mental and spiritual aspects, together with the help of the family as well. This care will begin as the fatal disease is identified and will continue as the healing and medication process is going on. It also defines and evaluates the child’s physical, psychological and social stress through the help of other health workers.

Successful palliative care must include the patient’s family and other support systems as well. Even if resources are limited, palliative care is still possible to achieve. Palliative care is also provided in health care facilities like health centers and children’s home in the community.