What is palliative care?
Palliative care is an approach which improves the quality of life for patients and their families facing life-threatening illness, through the prevention, assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems.
Who are the palliative care team?
The team consists of:
- A team of clinical nurse specialists
- A palliative care social worker
The Palliative Care Specialist Nurses’ role focuses on symptom control and support from diagnosis throughout a patient’s illness, end of life care and bereavement.
The Palliative Care Social Worker is able to act as a care co-ordinator working with other multi-disciplinary professional teams which may include Community Adult Services, including nurses, OT’s, hospice and charitable organisations, States Departments including Social Security and Housing.
The social worker takes into account the whole person as well as their family and help them understand and identify their options, assist with completion of necessary paperwork in addition to planning advanced care plans.
Referrals
- By GP
- Hospital staff
- Social Workers
- Other agencies
- Self-referral Tel: 220000, ask for Specialist Palliative Care Team, although GP may need to be contacted.
Family – can be offered general advice support but not given specific information about patient’s condition.
How can they help you?
- Pain control – we aim to treat all aspects of pain, including pain caused by any previous underlying illness.
- Symptom control – we aim to treat the majority of symptoms which occur throughout the illness.
- End of life – Provide psychological and emotional support to patients and their families.
