Palliative care

 Providing patient care is essential, especially to those with advanced stage of the disease and whose recovery isn’t expected. It includes care for the patient and his/her family in order to overcome psychological, social and emotional problems. The goal of the palliative care is to improve the quality of life, to relieve the symptoms and the side effects of the therapy.

Palliative care has four main objectives:

• To reduce the pain caused by cancer and to reduce its consequences;

• To improve the quality of life of patients and their families;

• To apply quality care with rational control;

• To provide psychological and emotional support.

 Why is family involvement important in palliative care?

The patients and his their families accept the final stage of the disease as a time to say goodbye. Besides providing a peaceful environment for the patient, conditions for maintaining athe daily routine of the family must be ensured in during this period. When the family is ensured that the patient is taken care of, they can go to work and take care of other family members. Therefore, the care provision in during this period is important not only for the patient but also for the whole family.

The family should be included in all discussions and must be informed so that it can meet the needs of the patient. The doctor, the patient and his/hers family work together as a team, in  resolving the conflicts.

Palliative care is particularly important in facing and accepting the patient's actual condition, enabling a meaningful communication between the patient, his/her family, doctors and other medical staff. It is important, throughout this period, that the team responsible for the patient makes decisions and intervenes in mutual agreement.