Having a terminally ill loved one in palliative care is never easy to accept. However, despite the feelings this situation can stir up, several complementary approaches can be used in order to improve the patient’s comfort and relieve their pain as they near death. Physical therapy, massage therapy, osteopathy, acupuncture, occupational therapy, and psychology are all disciplines that can help the patient and their family, both physically and mentally.
Discover how these professionals can help dying patients, while keeping in mind their capacities and level of endurance and respecting their wishes.
What is palliative care?
According to the Réseau des soins palliatifs du Québec, palliative care encompasses the “active and comprehensive care provided to patients suffering from a disease with an unfavourable prognosis.” In other words, it is the care provided to a patient suffering from a disease at an advanced stage and whose chances of long-term survival are low.
The goal of palliative care is first and foremost to relieve the patient’s pain and other physical symptoms caused by the disease. Palliative care seeks to provide the patient with a reasonable quality of life at the end of their life through the intervention of various health care professionals.
In fact, palliative care requires a multidisciplinary team. Faced with the reality of death, this kind of care must relieve physical symptoms and alleviate the fears and anxieties of the patient and their loved ones.
Physical therapy
To help a terminally ill patient, a physical therapist must first and foremost proceed with a brief assessment of the patient’s endurance to understand the pain and discomfort they are experiencing. The professional will also evaluate their cardio-respiratory capacities because patients can suffer breathing problems such as shortness of breath or congestion which can increase their levels of anxiety during this difficult time.
Thanks to various techniques such as massage, lymphatic drainage, and tips to control breathing, the physical therapist can reduce the patient’s pain and fears. Other techniques such as active and passive mobilization will allow the patient to maintain an increased mobility in their limbs and body.
Massage therapy
Massage therapy, just like physical therapy, must relieve the patient’s pain and make them more comfortable. Moreover, physical contact has a beneficial psychological effect because patients in palliative care can feel alone and isolated. Massages provided by a professional must help reduce the patient’s pain while establishing an important human contact. Massage therapy will also improve the patient’s sleep, help them relax, and lower their anxiety levels.
Osteophathy
An osteopath’s goal is to get an overall understanding of the patient’s state of health in order to understand the functional disorders caused by their disease. Osteopathy serves to alleviate tension in the patient’s body and restore mobility to their various systems.
An osteopath will work to reduce muscle and joint pain but also relieve the tension in organs, such as the ones in the digestive system for instance, by using various stimulation techniques.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been proven to help patients with cancer by stimulating their immune system and relieving the symptoms caused by their radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
An acupuncturist can also help patients in palliative care by allowing them to lessen certain symptoms of their disease and helping them manage their anxiety. Acupuncture can have physical and psychological benefits for a terminally ill patient.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy is another way to improve the quality of life of patients in palliative care. With the help of relaxation and energy conservation techniques, an occupational therapist can advise their patient and help them with ways to increase their energy levels. Thanks to home adaptation techniques, an occupational therapist will help their patient conserve their functional and cognitive autonomy as they progressively deal with various incapacities caused by their disease (prevention of bed sores, curative mattress, adaptation of bed and bathroom, adapting the bedroom to make hygiene easier, etc.).
Psychology
A psychologist can assist the patient and their loved ones throughout the process of loss of autonomy, which is often progressive. In addition, the professional can initiate a conversation about the best ways to deal with the different stages of grief that are associated with palliative care.
Palliative care must integrate a multidisciplinary approach with the intervention of professionals from different health care disciplines. Their help must allow the patient to conserve the best quality of life possible despite the effects of their disease and the grieving that occurs at this difficult time. Palliative care is also a way to support the patient’s family and natural caregivers.
Clinique GO™’s multidisciplinary team provides these services to terminally ill patients and their families. By travelling to the patient (at their home or hospice), their interventions provide the patient with adapted care to reduce their discomfort and to hopefully improve their state of mind. Clinique GO™’s professionals have experience in working in collaboration with CLSCs, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals and always with the utmost respect for the patient. If you have a loved one who is going through this situation, these tips can help them during their end of life and improve their physical and psychological state.
Contact us to find out how our professionals can help your loved one.
Approuvé par Francis Desjardins
