PALLIATIVE CARE

In my last practice rotation I was fortunate to work in a team that I didn’t know: the ESAD (Equipment Homecare Support). It is an important element to provide palliative home care.

The WHO defines palliative care as the active, total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment.

The way to deal with family and patients is very different from the Primary Care. The psychological aspects, the  necessary empathy and the way in which we transmit knowledge have a degree of complexity that I hadn’t faced before.

In this team I learned:

·      To make independent valuation of immobilized patients. They use many scales for the complete evaluation of patients:

o   For functional status: Barthel, Karnofsky and ECOG.

o   For cognitive status: Pfeiffer.

They value sociodemographic, clinical variables, ethical –clinical dilemas, assessment of the symptoms severity...

·      To provide advice and information to the caregiver. To give psychological, social and spiritual support.

·      Subcutaneous way handling. Knowing hoy to explain to the family their proper use.

·      The treatment of cancer pain and other symptoms.

·      Nutritional assessment and monitoring in immobilized patients.

·      Dressings uses and cures of skin lesions.

It's a team that plays a very important role: to get a good quality of life to the patient during the terminal phase and very a very important support to the family at this critical moment.