Week 11: Acute Care Flashcards
what is palliative care?
- approach improves quality of life of individuals AND FAMILIES facing threatening illness through prevention and relief of suffering through IMPECCABLE ASSESSMENT and treatment of pain, other problems, physical, psychosocial, spiritual.
services offered for palliative care?
- relief of pain/ symptoms
- resources (home equipment?)
- assistance to father families to talk about sensitive issues
- link to other services (at home help/financial support)
- support to meet cultural obligations
- counselling/ grief support
- referrals to respite care services.
what model of care is palliative care?
family-centred model of care
- family and carers receive practical and emotional support
what is the first step a SW would take in improving quality of life?
- finding out how the person defines their quality of life (physical, emotional, social spiritual)
what contributes to people dying a “good” or “Good enough” death?
- having CONTROL over making decisions regarding intervention, pain relief, home or hospital, who will be present
- dignity is maintained and preserved all the way through
- opportunity to reflect on life and prepare for death but also families for bereavement after.
- Always have a plan + families are key!!!
importance of advanced health directive (AHD) in palliative care?
- communicate wants with values, choosing substitute decision maker
- communicate that they may not want intrusive medical treatments to ‘prolong life’
why is it important for families to know what kinds of treatments their loved one wants?
- less distress
- no burden of making difficult decisions at emotional times
- importance of advanced health directive (AHD)
palliative care is not about prolonging life, but about?
making people comfortable in this time
importance of informal caregivers, family, friends
they make up the largest sector of health workforce in palliative care
what is important to consider about caregivers in palliative care
- it can be very demanding
- some choose not to, or relinquish.
- stressors, limited respite, grief, health impact
social work role in palliative care:
- general support (alleviate anxiety)
- family interventions (conflict etc)
- complicated grief risk
- anxiety of caring
- counselling (grief, adjustment)
- practical (carer respite, home help, legal, AHD)
- supporting care staff
- spiritual visitors if wanted
palliative care psychosocial assessment:
- family issues
- practical help
- social issues (community, cultural)
- potential impact on individual, family, carers
notes for psychosocial care
- psychological and emotional wellbeing of client AND family
- insight into adaption to illness and consequences
- loss, facing death, impact on those close (values, culture, spirituality etc)
- practical aspects: finances, housing, aids to daily living
