Palliative care for Enduring Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Palliative care for Enduring Conditions - Essay Example The philosophy of palliative care is firmly rooted on improving or maintaining the quality of life to the very end. It is concerned with making the last few days of the patient’s life as comfortable as possible. The World Health Organization points out that palliative care is â€Å"the active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment†. It mostly involves the control of pain and other symptoms (psychological, social, and spiritual problems) often associated with terminally ill patients. The philosophy of palliative care in the current specialised setting is about paying equal focus on the physiological as well and the psychological issues of a terminally ill patient. Palliative care is rooted in the hospice movement, mainly on the care of the dying cancer patient. According to the World Health Organization, it is based on the principles of affirming life, viewing dying as a normal process. It neither hastens nor postpones death; it provides relief from pain and other symptoms; it integrates the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care; and it offers a support system for the patient and his family until the patient’s death.