How to deal with cancer with the help of Palliative Care?

Palliative care is an integral part of managing patients of cancer. What people do not understand/are not aware of is that Palliative care if started early; when cancer is curable plays an important role in boosting morale of the patients by making them emotionally, psychologically and spiritually strong to fight the disease and come out as winners. However, when it is confirmed, that patients are not curable, they should be referred to the Palliative care team in dedicated Palliative care centres for Holistic management.

Role of Pain & Palliative Care Specialist in Palliative Care : The role of a palliative care specialist is most important to provide comprehensive pain management and symptom management to individuals with serious or life-limiting illnesses. This includes assessing and managing physical symptoms, such as pain, as well as providing psychological and emotional support to both the patient and their family. Palliative Care doctors work closely with a Multidisciplinary Palliative Care team, to develop a personalized care plan that meets the patient's individual needs and goals, by shifting the focus from disease to the patient and from curing to healing.

Palliative care is teamwork, where hierarchy is minimized and each team member is empowered to provide the best possible care in an environment of mutual trust and respect. Coordination is the most important part of teamwork. The palliative care team includes:

1. Palliative medicine consultants (supported by all other specialists and superspecialists)
2. Resident doctors
3. Palliative care nurses
4. Nursing aids and other support staff
5. Psychologists
6. Social workers
7. Physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians
8. Spiritual Gurus
9. Family members /friends/ paid caretakers

What happens at a palliative care center?

Palliative Care Centers are well equipped to improve the quality of life of patients and their family members, suffering from associated problems of chronic, progressive, serious and life-threatening disease and relieving their distressing symptoms and preventing other anticipated problems.

Palliative Care Centers are managed by a team of pain and palliative care specialists, along with other specialists/superspecialsits, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, physiotherapists, palliative care nurses and support staff. An initial assessment is done in the OPD to understand the disease profile of the patient, their distressing symptoms and other related psychological, spiritual and social problems.  Need for involving other members of the palliative care team for counseling and rehabilitation is also evaluated.

As soon as the patient becomes comfortable with indoor palliative care, discharge time is planned in consultation with the patient and the family members. Finally the team members decide whether Palliative care can be given at home, in OPD, Day care Center or in the wards. Family members/caretakers are also trained to create adequate infrastructure at home to fulfill their needs of medication/ oxygen/ tube feeding/ urinary catheters/ colostomy care etc. A personalized follow-up care programme and consultation with treating doctors are explained and counselled to implement it.