Raquel Echaluse BSN III

PALLIATIVE CARE

Multidisciplinary or Interprofessional team

1. Medical/ Hospital Director

Our medical specialists provide specialist medical palliative care, and work in collaboration with other members of the palliative care team. They also participate in undergraduate and postgraduate health professional education, research, and policy and service development. The medical specialists also contribute to up skilling of GPs etc. and provide general education in the palliative care approach.

2. Registered Nurse

The palliative care nurses' role involves assessment, planning, collaborating, coordinating and providing advice regarding the management of patient's needs. In the specialist inpatient setting nurses provide direct care; in the acute hospital setting they provide a consultancy service; in the community setting nurses offer continued support to patients through home visits, phone call assessments and referral to other services, according to need. The community based nurses also provide an out-of-hours telephone support service.

3. Home health aide

Home health aides are responsible for taking care of patients who are suffering from chronic illnesses or disabilities or are elderly and need continuous care while living at home. Many states have their own home health aide training programs; however, aspiring home health aides can choose instead to complete a certificate program in home health care.

4. Clerk

The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service counters, screening solicitors, and other administrative tasks.

5. Social worker

palliative care social workers assist patients to be active participants in their own care, to ask questions, to make decisions and to exercise choice about what is important to them as their priorities and needs for living change. They support and counsel patients and families as they experience a range of emotions-such as fear, anger, anxiety, sadness and hope-with honesty, respect and without judgement.

Assistance provided can include specialist counselling/support in a range of areas such as adjustment to illness; changes in lifestyle; maintaining relationships with family and friends; managing feelings of anxiety; depression, loneliness, reactions to loss, setting goals and living well.

Assistance can also include:

Access to written information and resources;

Family mediation and support, helping families to manage differences in needs, ideas and feelings;

Coordination and participation in case conferences, getting everybody together to talk about people's needs, concerns and wishes

6. Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists can contribute significantly to the maintenance of physical function, independence and comfort for patients receiving palliative care, and have an important role in rehabilitation after surgery or illness.

Physiotherapists:

Assess patients to determine their level of physical functioning;

Show how to exercise to reduce pain and stiffness, maintain strength, increase mobility and energy;

Assist with managing fatigue and the deterioration of exercise tolerance and muscle strength in advanced illness;

Prescribe and provide equipment to improve mobility such as wheelchairs, frames and walking sticks;

Teach carers and family the best ways to help a patient sit and stand, or move, including the use of hoists where appropriate;

Assist with the management of breathlessness with breath control techniques and aids;

Provide oedema management including bandaging, advice, exercises and massage;

Assist with pain relief techniques such as positioning the body appropriately, using hot and cold packs, and stimulating nerves.

7. Occupational therapist

Occupational Therapy promotes well being and quality of life through occupation/activity. The primary goal of Occupational Therapy in palliative care is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life by:

Education and advice to patients and caregivers on adapting to change, managing fatigue and conserving energy by making the physical side of their daily activities easier. This includes activities such as walking, showering, and getting into and out of bed and chairs safely.

Arranging equipment hire or modifications to a patient's home for a safer, more easily accessible environment;

Recommending suitable products to cater for individual pressure care requirements;

Teaching carers and family the best ways to help patients sit and stand or move; and

Advising patients on small aids to improve their independence in household tasks and personal care, for example a device to help them put on their socks, or wash their toes

8. Dietician

Have particular skills to assist patients to optimise nutritional plan which focuses on the patient's needs and wishes. They are also able to take into account the patient's current disease context, treatment plans overall quality of life when developing nutritional plans and education for the patient and family.

9. Chaplain

Provide sensitive spiritual support, sacramental ministries, advance directive consultation and other services for patients and their family members.

10. Volunteers

Play an important role in many palliative care services . they receive no pay but may be offered expenses. they work in reception, coffee rooms, library. appeals office, flower arranging, day unit ,transport, charity shops but most units do not perform hand-on role with patient. they work under the direction of volunteer service manager a salaried member staff.

10. Family members

Can be considered "member" as they have an important role in the patients overall care and their opinions should be included when formulating a plan of management, then fully explained to them.

11.Patient

May considered a member of the team (although they do not participate in the team meetings) , as all treatments must be with their consent, understanding and in accordance with wishes.