Understanding Long Term Conditions And Palliative Care

This author’s personal perceptions concerning patients facing a lingering terminal illness, have been shaped by over 20 years of critical care nursing experience. Facing death and illness on a daily basis requires self-examination and a high degree of comfort with one’s own mortality, limits and values. Constant exposure to the fragility of life forces respect for the whole person and the people who love them. A general approach to patients who are actively dying is to allow them to define what they want and need during this time. The nurse’s role

The aim of this essay is to define a long term condition (LTC) and explain why this is important for nurses. Common symptoms may accompany many LTC’s and how these are treated, along with the impact on patient and carer will be considered. The patient chosen for this case study shall be referred to as John to

Although nurses have their experience to guide their practice, as the health professional most involved with the client at the end of life, there is a need for review of current assessment tools and management strategies to ensure the care given is evidence based and best practice.

According to Allen et al. (2012), “millions of people with chronic illnesses endure unrelieved pain, uncontrolled physical symptoms and unresolved psychosocial or spiritual problems.” This issue occurs because palliative care is often considered a form of end-of-life care. Palliative care is a treatment that can be used for patients who suffer from chronic illnesses and diseases while receiving curative treatment. (Horowitz, Grambling & Quill, 2014) purposely states the misconceptions of palliative care and advocated for seriously ill patients that education must bring under control the misconceptions. Some patients do not receive appropriate symptom management because the palliative care treatment needed is often confused with end-of-life care. However, end-of-life care attempts to relieve pain and suffering when a disease is no longer responsive to curative treatment. Pain and suffering could ultimately be controlled or even eliminated through the proper utilization of palliative care. Patients who are not referred to palliative care in a timely manner is more likely to have poor quality of life, uncontrolled symptom management and increased amounts of visits to the emergency room during the disease process. Patients with life limiting illnesses bear the burden of increased discomfort and increased suffering. Nurses experience clinical practice issues and difficulties in the clinical setting during the delivery of comfort and symptom management. These issues

Long Term Conditions (LTC) are illnesses for which there is no cure, yet can be managed with the correct medications and treatments. Common LTCs include high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arthritis (The King’s Fund 2015). The following essay will discuss LTCs and their prevalence in today's society, by first looking at statistics and the government policies that were developed as a result of said research. Secondly, this essay will examine different methods of developing a care plan for an individual following a biopsychosocial model. Lastly, a Long Term Condition will be examined that was experienced when interacting with a patient from a previous community placement; this individual was living with Chronic Heart Failure and this essay will critically evaluate CHF, including the ailments, causes and the various

Hospice is compassionate care provided to patients facing terminal illness or illness for which there is no cure. These patients are diagnosed with an illness from which they will never recover and usually have a life prognosis of six months or less (Hospice Foundation of America, 2014). The goal of hospice care is improving quality of life and managing the symptoms of disease and the dying process. The care hospice offers is focused on pain management and emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and family (National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, 2012). Hospice care can be provided in many different settings, often the patient’s own home. Hospice care can also be provided in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities and free-standing hospice centers and is available to patients of all ages (NHPCO, 2012). A patient receiving care in a hospice program has a team of healthcare individuals that can consist of the patients own physician, nurses, home health aides, clergy, social workers, and speech and physical therapists (NHPCO, 2012). Usually, a care plan is developed by the hospice team and care of the patient is provided by family members with the support of the hospice staff (NHPCO, 2012). Nurses make regular visits to the patient and family and are on call 24/7. Once enrolled in a hospice program hospice covers everything that will be needed to care for you, from medications to manage pain to

Palliative care is designed for individuals who have chronic, long-term and severe illnesses. This care option is available for patients with diverse illnesses like kidney failure, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, ADIS and other chronic diseases. No matter how old or young the patient is, our staff members provide them with the support and care that they need.

Palliative care is a relatively new concept, stemming from the hospice movement of the 1960s. This type of care focuses on the quality of life of its patients at any time in their treatment process. Palliative care is a concept that is often used synonymously with hospice care. Although it can be congregated with hospice care, they are not the same thing. Thus, it can easily be misunderstood. Sherner (2015) explains that both clinicians and people alternate palliative care and hospice. Unfortunately, she says, these people believe that palliative care implies the patient is refusing curative care. The purpose of this analysis is to explore the concept, clarify the meaning, and differentiate the concept of palliative care.

In nursing, the goal of care is usually to restore the patient back to the highest level of health possible. In some cases, however, the goals of care change when a curative approach is no longer appropriate. The new goals of care could simply be palliation and pain control rather than a restoration back to full health. This type of care is called palliative care. Palliative care is not the same as end-of-life care, but the two go hand-in-hand at times. The goal of end-of-life care is a “good” death, good being defined by the patient. Palliation is part of that “good” death. Both palliative care and end-of-life

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) defines palliative care as a care that improves quality of life of patients and families who are facing problems associated with their life-threatening illness. This is by preventing and relieving suffering by the early identification, immaculate assessment, treatment of pain, and other problems like physical, psychosocial and spiritual issues. The goal to palliative care is to not only treat the patient but also provide comfort to both the patient and family members. Therefore the review of these literatures will provide insight on the barriers and specific needs that a patient with dementia may have.

When a patient is expected to live six months or less is when hospice is referred. Although many hospice patients have cancer as their primary diagnosis, hospice provides care to patients of all ages who are dealing with any potentially life-limiting illness, including Alzheimer’s, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, and emphysema. Once the patient has been diagnosed and chooses hospice care, this can generally take place at home or as in-patient care. Hospice neither prolongs life nor hastens death, but controls pain and discomfort allowing a person to live as fully and comfortably as possible during life’s final journey (“Career”).

This nursing organization has a magnificent amount of power and responsibility in improving the expert care in illnesses and diseases acquired by older adults through advocacy, dissemination of knowledge and the provision of continuation of education (“About GAPNA,” 2016.). Similarly, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association’s political position is to enhance expert care in serious illness and to advance nursing competence through education, leadership and research (“Shared Mission,” 2016). It also creates programs and other learning resources to advance competent care in complicated health conditions (“Shared Mission,” 2016). Furthermore, its responsibility extends to utilizing the best practices of hospice and palliative care to support those who are in need (“Shared Mission,”

This assignment with look at long term conditions and the associated multiple pathology and the impact both physically and the financial burden placed on the NHS. It is reported that globally over 36 million deaths every year are accounted to long term conditions (World Health Organisation, 2013). The most common LTCs are reported to be Mental health problems, Diabetes, Hypertension, Musculoskeletal problems, Heart disease and Asthma. (Department of Health, 2012). The DH state that one third of the population are reported to have one or more long term conditions, these are described as conditions that cannot be cured but can be managed. (The Kings Fund, 2012)

Hospice is a component of palliative care. A person does not necessarily have to be dying in order to see a palliative care specialist. This is where the service is often underutilized in the hospital. In the 18 months I have been a nurse, I have cared for many patients with chronic illnesses who have dealt with symptoms that have severely impacted their quality of life. Most of the time, it seems as though the patient’s care providers are interested in treating the patient’s acute problems. My experience has been that the symptoms are often overlooked or are being treated in a manner that is to the dissatisfaction and discomfort of the patient.

3. Palliative Care Council of South Australia. (1996). Good palliative care project: final report. Retrieved September 4, 2002, from Palliative Care Council of So