It probably helps to start with some broad definitions, the World Health Organisation, (WHO) defines palliative care in this way:

“Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and that of their families who are facing challenges associated with life-threatening illness, whether physical, psychological, social, or spiritual. The quality of life of caregivers improves as well”.

This definition works well for families receiving support in their own homes, it's important to remember that clients are often keen to maintain their existing life choices but need some assistance to do this. The care team must always be vigilant to the changing landscape of the client’s needs.

For some, palliative care is needed for many years as they manage the challenges of their current illness, but for others, palliative care is given with the realization that the next stage of support needed is that of end-of-life care.

End-of-life care

There are many definitions of end-of-life care, The National Cancer Institute, (NCI) provides this definition that lends itself comfortably to supporting people in their own homes with holistic support, not just for the client but also for their family.

“Care is given to people who are near the end of life and have stopped treatment to cure or control their disease. End-of-life care includes physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support for patients and their families. The goal of end-of-life care is to control pain and other symptoms so the patient can be as comfortable as possible. End-of-life care may include palliative care, supportive care, and hospice care, also called comfort care”.

Saar@Home’s aim is to deliver person-centered care for our clients in their own home, supporting them with their activities for living as they manage their condition with a discreet team of well-trained, nurse-led and experienced careers.

We have experience of working with other health providers and clinicians working in the health family, with the common goal of ensuring that quality care and support is given to the client and their family.

Help is just a phone call away! If you would like to speak directly with Saar@home, please call +351 961 310 877 or take a look at the website www.saarathome.com