Question

What is Palliative Care?
1. Is an approach to improve the quality of life of patients and their family who are facing life treatment illness
2. Is an approach to quality of life of patients with terminal cancer
3. Is an approach to reduce cost of treatment
4. is an approach to reduce mortality and morbidity of the country

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 1 : Is an approach to improve the quality of life of patients and their family who are facing life treatment illness

Explanation:

Palliative Care

• Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and that of their families who are facing challenges associated with a life-threatening illness, whether physical, psychological, social or spiritual. The quality of life of caregivers improves as well.

• Addressing suffering involves taking care of issues beyond physical symptoms.

• Palliative care uses a team approach to support patients and their caregivers. This includes addressing practical needs and providing bereavement counselling.

• It offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death.

• Palliative care is explicitly recognized under the human right to health. It should be provided through person-centred and integrated health services that pay special attention to the specific needs and preferences of individuals.

• The global need for palliative care will continue to grow as a result of the ageing of populations and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and some communicable diseases.
• Early delivery of palliative care reduces unnecessary hospital admissions and the use of health services.
• Palliative care involves a range of services delivered by a range of professionals that all have equally important roles to play – including physicians, nursing, support workers, paramedics, pharmacists, physiotherapists and volunteers –– in support of the patient and their family.

• Each year, an estimated 40 million people are in need of palliative care; 78% of the people live in low- and middle-income countries.
• Worldwide, only about 14% of people who need palliative care currently receive it.
• Unnecessarily restrictive regulations for morphine and other essential controlled palliative medicines deny access to adequate palliative care.
• Adequate national policies, programmes, resources, and training on palliative care among health professionals are urgently needed in order to improve access.