Title: The psychological aspects of palliative care
Abstract: Palliative care was defined by the WHO in 1990 as: ‘The active, total care of patients at a time when their disease is no longer responsive to curative treatment, and when control of pain (or other symptoms) and of psychological, social and spiritual problems is paramount.’ Palliative care complements existing health care and functions in partnership with the multidisciplinary team. It should not be considered as being merely concerned with decisions regarding whether to treat or not, but with the appropriateness of a treatment. Palliative care is concerned with all chronic diseases and many goals of palliative care are applicable in the initial stages of any illness. The principles of palliative care (Figure 1) are derived from the primary objective of promoting the physical and psychological well-being of the patient and his family. The facilitation of palliative care intervention incorporates three essential components: •psychosocial support •symptom control •teamwork and partnership. The environment in which palliative care is required is one of change and uncertainty.
Publication Year: 2003
Publication Date: 2003-11-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 2
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