Palliative Care Nurses assumes a new dimension as it signifies the importance of delivering compassionate care to patients suffering from life-limiting diseases and disabilities. So, this support system adopts a highly patient-centric approach so that palliative patients can lead their lives following the wishes, beliefs and values they have upheld so far.
Palliative Nurses certainly has the transformative power to help anybody with chronic disease or life-threatening illness to live life on their terms with self-respect and grace rather than being perceived as a ‘sick’ individual. Instead of brooding over disease and its symptoms, seniors can enjoy a purposeful living with less pain and be at ease. Several geriatric care centres offer such services.
Athulya Senior Care is one of the promising choices for such support as it has both Palliative Care centres and also delivers health assistance at your doorstep through a specialised service portfolio named Athulya Homecare. Our team of medical professionals including doctors, nurses and therapists are well-trained and experienced to handle patients with concern and empathy to transform their perspectives of life for the better. Thanks to the unique blend of customised and compassionate nursing care at home, we have become one of the most optimal choices for Palliative care in Che.
Let us now look into the insights of palliative care at home, its advantages and the role played by palliative nurses in empowering the lives of senior citizens.
Palliative Care at Home
Home-based palliative care is an affordable approach for safely managing people with advanced diseases at their residences. Elderly patients in such health conditions would unanimously prefer to stay here as the best option for “Palliative care near me” rather than searching for an external nursing facility or hospital. That is largely because there’s no need to travel and wait for healthcare professionals for a long period of time. This service also provides vital emotional and spiritual support and prevents the risk of health issues in bedridden patients through standardised care protocols.
Advantages of Home-Based Palliative Care
- Quick and easy accessibility to care – Both the patient and their family have easy access to care facilities right at their doorstep. This service also comprehensively addresses all aspects of support needed including physical, emotional, social and spiritual.
- Personalised and patient-centred service – Since palliative care is highly tailored to the individual needs and specific requirements of the patient, it is more effective and efficient. Additionally, training and support are also given to the family members so that they can emotionally deal with this crisis better and also become better supplementary caregivers.
- Enhanced healing environment – Hospitalisation is a scary concept for any patient, more so, for elders. They would rather get treated in the comfortable solace and familiar settings of their homes in the presence of their loved ones. Home-based care encourages this preference.
- Patient Privacy and Confidentiality – Palliative Care assumes paramount significance in the context of certain communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and some life-threatening ailments like cancer. Here, retaining confidentiality and privacy of patient information is very important because several misconceptions and misinterpretations of the community exist which deters care progress.
- Unlimited access to pertinent care portfolios and specialists – The palliative care team usually has multiple liaisons with clinical specialty experts, interdisciplinary interventions and complementary therapies which may be deployed for the patient as required. This saves energy and time for the family as they are exempted from the burden of searching for outside assistance independently.
- Risk of hospital infections reduced – Understandably, the immune systems of palliative care patients are highly compromised and they are more prone to infections and communicable diseases. Home-based care lowers this risk with better standards of health and hygiene. Patients are also better protected against infections acquired from hospitals and nursing homes.
- Better utilisation of resources and cost-effectiveness – Local resources including medical equipment, clinical supplies, volunteers and caregivers may be employed thereby enhancing mobilisation. This also reduces healthcare costs as long-distance travel and frequent commute to hospitals is eliminated.
Role of Palliative Care Nurses in Empowering Seniors
- Deliver compassionate and customised care to seniors suffering from illnesses that inhibit normal living irrespective of where they are located
- Help to reduce health-related suffering to the minimum regardless of the stage of the disease, prognosis and diagnosis
- Emphasize giving the required assistance and support to elderly patients to enhance the quality of their lives and live with dignity
- Reinstate the concept that anybody facing a serious health crisis or living the final days of their life has unconditional access to affordable care support especially when it is needed the most
- Furnish adequate resources to manage the disease symptoms and alleviate pain. So, seniors can rejoice in the simple pleasures of day-to-day life and spend memorable times with their loved ones
- Provide emotional and spiritual rapport so that older people can handle difficult medical situations and decision-making pragmatically
- Decrease the psychological impact of trauma by providing companionship, connection and compassion so that patients are not isolated or depressed in this difficult journey
- Offer a robust support mechanism to lead an active and blissful life as much as possible till the patient is alive
In short, Palliative Care is truly a blessing for seniors with chronic illnesses, permanent disabilities, financial constraints and mobility restrictions. It reduces unnecessary hospital visits and investigations and provides much-needed support with comfort, familiarity, safety and freedom. Click here to explore more about our exclusive facilities offered at Athulya Home Healthcare in Chennai.
Information: This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitute for any treatment or diagnosis. Seek professional help in case of any emergency. Athulya is not responsible for any consequences.
