Palliative Care: A vital part of health care

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is specialised medical care for people with serious illnesses. Irrespective of the diagnosis, it focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life of both the patient and the family.

Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s own doctors and/or specialists to provide an extra layer of support.

It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment.

Palliative care is not the same as hospice care. Palliative care can begin at diagnosis, and is appropriate for people in all stages of serious illnesses, including those undergoing treatment. Hospice care, on the other hand, begins when a doctor and the patient decide that curative treatment is no longer the best course of action.

When a patient is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, timeous treatment is of vital importance. Most patients wish to die at home, but patients often end up receiving aggressive treatments in hospital.

Accessing palliative care services early empowers the patient and family to navigate what comes next. Knowing that support is available in the comfort of their home relieves the anxiety of many patients. This support includes emotional, spiritual, social and physical support as well as the availability of pressure reliving devices, mobility and bath aides. Trained wound care specialist nurses and memory workers who capacitate children during difficult times are the other support services offered.

Private patients can access palliative care/comfort care benefits through their medical aid. This opens up a host of services that do not impact their day-to-day funds, i.e., access to care givers. This helps alleviate the financial burden some families face.

For more information on how to access palliative care services in Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas, please contact Msunduzi Hospice. Msunduzi Hospice is one of only two Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa accredited palliative care providers in KZN and one of only five in South Africa.

While some of their services may be limited due to resource constraints, your support will enable them to continue providing these services to the wider Pietermaritzburg and Msunduzi communities. Donations of cash or pre-loved items will also go a long way in ensuring the sustainability of their services.

For additional information, please contact Sheila de Maroussem – Palliative Care Manager – pcmanager@hospicekzn.co.za, or Warren Oxford-Huggett – CEO – warren@hospicekzn.co.za

You can also call them on 082 699 9105.