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Palliative care The Introduction

Boonthida Chaidaroon , MD

WHO definition of palliative care


Palliative care is 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.

Why do we need palliative care ?


Modern medicine first set to cure diseases Most of our health services are designed for treatment and prevention of disease A big need is that not yet being met The ongoing care for those who do not get better

Palliative care help people with


Palliative care is for all patients with progressive lifethreatening in curable diseases Cancer HIV Progressive neurological disease Severe kidney or heart failure End-stage lung disease Other life-limiting illness

Palliative care
Palliative care is about living as well as dying Palliative care focuses on quality of life and quality of dying Palliative care is active care

When is the right time ?

When is the right time?

Palliative care
Good palliative care does not hasten death As well as does not prolong dying Not just for terminal phases of life or the last few weeks or days

Put life into their days


Not just put days into their life

What is different about palliative care


The holistic approach Physical : pain and symptoms Psychological : worries, fears, sadness, anger Social : need of the family, issue of food, work, housing and relationship Spiritual : questions of the meaning of life and death, the need to be at peace

Tasks of palliative care


Comprehensive assessment Pain and symptoms control Psychological,spiritual and social support Readaptation of the patient's environment to maximize their function Care of the patient and family as a unit Honest and sensitive communication Advance care planning Establishment of realistic goal of care Fostering dignity, self-worth and hope Crisis prevention and management Provision of interdisciplinary care Dealing with issues of dying and death

Pain+symptoms control

Palliative care Psychosocial + spiritual support

Doing palliative care in your setting


" When you want to eat an elephant you need to decide where to start and then just eat a little bit at a time" Indian proverb

Community center

Clinic Where do you work ?

Under the tree Hospital ward

Palliative care is done in many different settings Hospice does not mean just a building

It refers to the whole approach

Doing palliative care in your setting


Questions ? Who needs palliative care where we are working? What are their main problems? What help are their getting at present? What could be added to improve their care and make it holistic?

Palliative care works along side and within other programs


Palliative care does not replace other forms of care Can be integrated into existing programs and should be a part of the care

Building your team at your setting


In settings where palliative care is well established and well resourced Carried out by multi or interdisciplinary team May be where you are... There may be only handful people or you are alone We need people who will join us to provide holistic care

Building your team at your setting Teamwork


If you want to travel quickly, go alone

But if you want to travel far, you must go together.

Building your team at your setting


Training People enjoy working when they know what is expected of them. They feel competent to do it and their work is appreciated. Training includes : teaching sessions, ongoing supervision and support

Start doing what's necessary, then do what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible

Thank you for your attention

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