A DROP IN ON PALLIATIVE CARE

 ACCORDING to the World Health Organisation Palliative Care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

As I get much older I receive many internal and external reminders of my own death. I uncover that what troubles me the most is not death as per say, but what comes before that.I acknowledge the possibility of pain, suffering, infirmity, and intense physical and psychological uneasiness and the feeling of helplessness in the hands of others.

If you are fully grown like me, for sure you have had so many instances of being treated like an entity by those who claim to care and love you, and you know how unpleasant it feels. My professional experience has taught me to view with terror those who believe they want the best for me in life. They are always rallying behind us in all spheres of life including preparing for the end of our lives. The observation it that: they are so determined to make sure that we receive the ‘best care’ in our lives that they unfortunately  refrain from inquiring from the  recipients themselves, what is really good for them. Sometimes I believe they are reluctant to find out someone’s views because they know it will differ from their own vested interests.

Loss of adequate health, dying, death, grief,  bereavement will always be there in our socieities.The difference is that our response to such issues  have been changing all the time .Many changes are seen to be objective and some subjective in these arenas. Of paramount curiosity is that people are more willing to speak about issues like mortgages, income, relationships, sex and money as compared to speaking about their own death. Previously, it was unthinkable to speak of dying and death, but now it has been made less offensive to speak about because it is common subjects of all forms of the media.

Effective palliative care service systems requires a broad multidisciplinary approach that includes the family and makes use of available community resources with  relevant policies. I believe it can be successfully implemented even if resources are limited.
Recently a proportion of chronic illnesses, dying and death is viewed as a broader political, social, economic, religious and environmental concern. Technology has taught us as human beings to ‘control ’diseases like HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, diabetes etc. In the West, killer diseases like cancer and cardiac issues have been tracked to respond to how factors like the environment, knowledge, natural and man-made hazards, inequality, resources, social groups, culture etc. respond to them.

Having highlighted the above sentiments, I urge that all palliative care workers (regardless of their speciality) and family members  to bear it in mind that, palliative care systems should be made to appropriate all persons by not only making systems  fit  those who believe that they know  how  best they can take care of the beneficiaries.

It is an open secret that human beings have gained more control on death and dying issues and have even come up with interventions that attempt prolonging life and preparedness, including medical insurance schemes.

These advanced care planning has made things ‘easier ‘for people to explore issues related to death openly and making last  arrangements. Interests on the subject answers why’s and what’s, how’s, when, whose of death and dying.

Additionally, the meaning of death and dying has also been tackled vigorously using religious and spiritual values and beliefs.
Helping professions like social work have come up with concepts of ’ good or bad death’ as compared to previously ‘good or bad quality of life’. Clients have been educated on more rights on their dying than ever before. This complex response to dignified dying and death has brought palliative care into the picture and our understanding of it. Dying with dignity is the buzz word.

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