Palliative Care Unit
08.11.2023

PALLIATIVE CARE CENTER

Palliative Care Services Policy; ''Providing patients and their relatives with appropriate physical, psychosocial and spiritual support based on cultural values provides longer life expectancy, better quality of life, and better patient and family satisfaction.The aim is to add quality life to patients' lives, not years.

Palliative care; “An approach developed by early detection, evaluation and treatment of quality of life of patients and families facing problems in life-threatening situations, pain and other problems of physical, psychosocial and spiritual dimensions”. Palliative care includes approaches to the symptoms, pain and stress caused by a serious illness, as well as providing extra support to the patient. Palliative care, a philosophy of care, is an organized and highly structured care delivery system. This system varies from country to country.

Today, the number of individuals with chronic, life-threatening and incurable diseases is increasing. The importance that healthcare professionals attach to the qualified care of these patients is increasing. One of the goals is to improve the quality of life of patients and their relatives not only in the terminal period but also throughout the duration of treatment. Palliative care tells us; It provides longer life expectancy, better quality of life, better patient and family satisfaction, and lower costs.

The main goal in palliative care is to manage the suffering of the patient and his family/friends well. Patient- and family-centered care should be applied, treatment should be planned according to culture, belief, race, language, religion, ethnic differences, expectations, age and education levels, and continuity of care and fair access should be ensured.

There are basically three approaches to palliative care:

 

  • The first is hospital-based palliative care, which specifically cares for high-risk complex patients. It increases the quality of care and reduces the cost of care.

     

  •  The second is home-based care. The primary care setting is the home environment. The aim is to provide palliative care at the level that can be provided in a hospital, in the patient's own home environment.

     

  •  The third is community-based palliative care. It consists of clinics created for outpatient patients.