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.
World Health Organisation 2002
Palliative care can support people of all ages, including adults, children and young people, who are living with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition.
Palliative care for children and young people is an active and total approach to care, from the point of diagnosis, throughout the child’s life, death and beyond. It embraces physical, emotional, social and spiritual elements and focuses on the enhancement of quality of life for the child or young person and support for the whole family. It includes the management of distressing symptoms, provision of short breaks, care at the end of life and bereavement support.
Palliative care is provided by a team approach to planning and providing care that is tailored to meet the individual needs of a person, their family and those important to them. Palliative care can be provided by anyone who works in healthcare.
For children and young people, palliative care may involve a broad range of services working together to support the child or young person and their family.
Palliative care can be provided by anyone who works in healthcare.
Palliative care can benefit a person at all stages of a life-limiting illness. The earlier a person receives palliative care, the more it can help them, or someone close to them who has been diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. They may be experiencing symptoms and may be worried about the illness, the treatments that might be available and what might lie ahead.
End of life care is a part of the progression of people’s illnesses and is usually used to describe the care that is offered during the period when death is imminent, and life expectancy is limited to a short number of days, hours or less.
Palliative care is 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.
World Health Organisation, 2002
Palliative Care aims to meet the physical, practical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and carers facing progressive illness that may limit or shorten their lives and includes bereavement support. This care can be provided at any stage following diagnosis. It is for people of all ages to help them live as well as possible.
It is delivered via the public, independent, community and voluntary sector organisations working collaboratively to provide integrated services.
General palliative care is delivered by multi-disciplinary teams in primary and community care settings, hospital units and wards. A general palliative approach can be provided by GPs, District Nurses, Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), Social Workers, Pharmacists and so on. Hospital Consultants and their teams can also employ a palliative approach when caring for people with particular conditions. These professionals can introduce the concept of palliative care early on in the patient’s care journey, revisiting the patient’s needs as the patient enters the more severe stages of illnesses such as; respiratory disease, heart failure, renal disease, neurological conditions and dementia. These experts can also recognise if or when referral to specialist palliative care is needed.
Specialist palliative care is the management of unresolved symptoms and more demanding care needs including complex psychosocial, end of life and bereavement issues. This is provided by specialist personnel with expert knowledge, skills and competences. It is delivered by specialist multi-disciplinary teams dedicated to palliative and end of life care. The responsibilities of these professionals will include a very careful assessment and management of physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, loss of appetite as well as the provision of psychological, social and spiritual support to individuals and their families.
There are four main ways to provide specialist care:
Referral is made using a standard form, available to download from the HSE website. This form is normally signed by the General Practitioner (GP) or any doctor currently caring for the individual with a life-limiting condition.
Referral is a via a referral system and is often initiated by the GP currently caring for the individual with a life-limiting condition.
The Palliative Hub has been developed by AIIHPC with member organisations, key stakeholders and AIIHPC’s Voices4Care volunteer to act as a gateway to information and resources about palliative care on the island of Ireland. The Palliative Hub fills a recognised gap in the palliative care sector for a dedicated websites to help people from a variety of backgrounds access and find the information and resources they need. Click here to access the site.
