Quality Palliative Care

In almost every case of a terminal disease, pain is intolerable and seeing someone in such agony is heartbreaking. For example, Brittany Maynard, a 29 year old brain cancer patient who had to move to Oregon so she can avail of the Death with Dignity act. “Maynard knew that her form of brain cancer would be excruciating. She would endure swelling of the brain that would very likely cause seizures, painful headaches and the gradual loss of bodily function. Doctors know that for about 5 percent of the population, no amount of morphine can block the agonizing pain the terminally ill endure” (EDITORIAL: Dying with dignity). Palliative care can often be provided for the dying patients and alleviating pain to provide comfort for the dying has always been the priority. “Palliative care focuses on relieving the symptoms, particularly the pain, of incurable illness.” (Palliative Care) But, in relieving pain through the prescribed medications there are also side effects that are caused by the prescribed pain suppressors and two examples will be lethargy and it compromises breathing. In most cases the effectivity of the pain medication may no longer alleviate the pain. If a patient will be in such agony for the remaining days or weeks the quality of life is no longer present. The agony of pain prevents a patient from performing even just the bodily functions.

There has been an increase in the interest of euthanasia and assisted suicide for the terminally ill in recent years (Williams 1997). The most obvious reason for someone wanting to end their life is to end the suffering they are going through once the illness goes beyond being bearable.

Thesis: Terminally ill patients suffering from unresolved palliative care requests physician assisted suicide in a quickened death, refusing to help patients from suffering may cause an extreme amount of unbearable pain.

Many Americans are diagnosed with a terminal illness each day. Hearing that kind of news and knowing there is less than a year left to live and the quality of life would no doubt be heartbreaking. During the last few months of a terminal patient’s life they are often in tremendous pain and suffering. Those with terminal illnesses are treated with life prolonging measures including chemotherapy and radiation. These treatments and the illness itself often leave the patient 's feeling as if they are a shell of who they were and miserable. “Numerous ailments such as certain types of cancer result in a slow, agonizing death” (Messerli, Joe). Physician Assisted Suicide allows

Voluntary Euthanasia has been considered a controversial topic for many decades. The idea of committing an act that involves the taking of human life is not one that many people would care to discuss openly. The main argument is that a person who has been diagnosed with an incurable illness and is in extreme pain and their ability to move has been limited, while that person still has control over their destiney should they be allowed take their own life (Bowie, R.2001). The worldwide debate weather one should be allowed to end a life is still one of the biggest ethical issues. The attempt to providing the rights of the individual is in conflict with the moral values of society. Voluntary Euthanasia has been highly rejected by many religious and pro-life institutions.

Physician-assisted suicide enables terminally ill patients to die comfortably and peacefully in their own homes. Terminally ill patients suffer through constant pain in their final months, and there remains a “residual obligation to relieve suffering” when palliative and hospice care reach a stagnant point (Quill). Patients will reach a point where the value of life weighs against the consistent suffering they endure on daily basis. Those seeking physician assisted suicide maintain the ability to forcibly starve themselves by declining food and drink. It takes more energy for terminally ill patients to push themselves to

Individuals with a terminal illness will typically go through the seven emotional stages of while coming to terms with their condition; shock, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance. Acceptance varies by the individual and has many different meanings. Some individuals try to make the time they have left last as long as possible while others focus on completing goals previously set in their life time. Some will seek forgiveness whether it be from their god(s) or from family and friends. But for a select few, acceptance means that they will try to take control of when they will pass away. To take control of something so trivial, they may look to family, friends, or even their physician. The act of voluntary termination of one’s life with the assistance of a medical care personal is referred to as physician assisted suicide, physician assisted death, or euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide allows patients to take control of what happens before and after death. It allows the patient to enjoy the dwindling life they have left and can be regulated by the government.

Freedom, independence and self-autonomy are fundamental rights of a human, This directly pertains to the central notion of an individual's right to live and right to die. A terminally ill patient should not suffer through excruciating pain and discomfort but rather embrace a timely and dignified death, this is implicit in the concept of liberty and self-determination. Despite rapid advancement in medical technology and modern palliative care, some patients suffer from incurable terminal diseases which inflicts destructive pain upon the patient both physically and mentally. They are unable to seek the compassionate relief of pain and suffering that they wish to

The purpose of this paper is to review ideas and strategies to transform and make improvements for quality of life care during palliative care. One of the most important aims of palliative care is to minimize suffering and discomfort. Palliative care is provided in almost all settings where health care is provided, including neonatal units, pediatric services, acute hospitals, general practices, as well as residential and nursing homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as: “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and

Death and dying has changed drastically in the past hundred years. In the past, most deaths occurred without warning mostly due to infectious diseases. Back then, medicine could do little to cure illness or extend life (NCBI, 1997). Most deaths occurred in the home surrounded by family. Today, death usually happens to older people following a long-term illness. The dying patient is usually in a hospital or heath care institution of some kind (Carr, 2003). The dying process is now more controlled by the ill patient and their family (Carr, 2003). “The Patient Self Determination Act, passed by Congress in 1990, requires all government-funded health providers to give patients the opportunity to formally articulate their end of life treatment

Deterioration of the quality of life for terminally ill patients is a heartbreaking burden suffered by the family. As mentioned in the article “Assisted Suicide” by Reed Karaim, the deterioration of severe illness such as brain cancer can cause not only the patient suffering but the family as well (451). Families stand ready to help but at times can feel weighted down by the required attention these patients may need. Patients are confined to little or no mobility making it extremely difficult for private patient care like hospice to provide adequate service to the patients. These situations leave the families no other option except for 24 hour hospitalization or medically assisted housing alternatives. As the patient’s conditions worsen more medications are needed to relieve pain, provide comfort and treat illness. These medications may cause serious side-effects making conditions worse. Freedom is lost when

Why is it that people, in general, do not want to think about the end of their life journey?

Over the past five weeks, I have learned what palliative care really is all about. I found that there were areas that really changed my perspective as well, about what palliative care is. Some of these include, but are not limited to, when palliative care is used, how difficult is can be to get patients the pain management they need, as well as how many different complimentary therapies are available to patients.

Palliative care seems to be a grey area of nursing. Nursing for many years has been thought of as a healing process, aiding people to their healthiest place. Palliative care is also known as comfort care, should not be confused with hospice care. “Both palliative care and hospice care provide comfort. But palliative care can begin at diagnosis, and at the same time as treatment. Hospice care begins after treatment of the disease is stopped and when it is clear that the patient is not going to survive the illness. Hospice care is usually offered only when the person is expected to live 6 months or less” (National Institute of Health 2015). Palliative care specialized for children will be the focus of this paper.

Previously, HIV was considered a disease associated with young persons. However, in present day, it is recognized as the disease that affects people of all ages. Individual aged 50 and older has many of the same HIV risk factors as a younger individual. There is an increase in the number of patients aged 50 and over who are living with HIV. This increase in the population is due to the increase in life expectancy of people with HIV and new cases in older people. To manage this increasing population a holistic care is needed.