Receiving Palliative Care In Tulsa

By Richard Patterson


One of the most difficult things for any individual or family to go through is to handle a diagnosis of a terminal illness. Apart from grappling with the certainty of facing death, there are also a myriad of problems that the affected individual has to grapple with. Palliation seeks to consider a patient as a whole rather than simply focusing on their diagnosis. If they intend to get palliative care in Tulsa patients should first understand a number of things on this treatment.

Terminal illnesses are so called because they have no known cure. However, a number of interventions can be undertaken to minimize the side effects related to the illness. Such side effects could be physical, emotional, spiritual, social or psychological. This treatment can be provided either in the hospital or at home depending on the how severe the condition is. Patients may also have a say on where they deem best to receive the treatment.

One of the commonest groups of diseases that requires this kind of care is cancer. Most malignant metastatic cancers are incurable. It is only humane that patients that have been diagnosed with these kinds of cancers receive proper end of life care even in their last days of life. Traumatic brain injury, chronic liver failure and end stage HIV/AIDS may also be considered for palliative services.

Offering palliative services is a product of teamwork. Many different specialists have to work together in coordinated fashion to attend to the needs of the patient. The type of specialists needed largely depends on the exact nature of the illness. Each specialist has special training to handle this type of patients and focuses on just one area. A typical multidisciplinary team would comprise nurses, doctors, dieticians, social workers and religious leaders.

Physical needs relate to the signs and symptoms of the illness. They include, for example, pain, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of appetite among others. Everything possible should be done to get rid of these symptoms. When managing pain for instance, pain relievers should be given liberally regardless of whether there are any short term or long term effects such as addiction and physical dependence.

Physical needs are perhaps the most pronounced in patients with terminal illnesses. They mainly include signs and symptoms of the condition such as nausea, vomiting, pain and shortness of breath among others. Nothing should be held back while trying to manage these symptoms. In managing pain, for example, in managing pain, the strongest pain relievers should not be withheld for fear of dependence or addiction.

Relatives also need to receive special care. They are, in most instances, greatly affected by the sickness of their loved one. It is important that their emotional and psychological needs are addressed alongside those of the patient. While some relatives may find it easy to accept the certainty of death, others struggle to come to terms with the reality and would require counselling during the illness and even after.

Relatives or caregivers can easily be forgotten while addressing the needs of the patient. They too, are affected to a great extent. Psychological stress is quite common among these relatives and some of them also show various degrees of depression. While some relatives may find it easy to accept the inevitable, others struggle a lot and need to be counselled throughout.




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