การดูแลผู้ป่วยแบบประคับประคอง (Palliative Care) เพื่อคุณภาพชีวิตที่ดีของผู้ป่วยและครอบครัว

<h2>Palliative Care Aiming for a Better Quality of Life for Patients and Families</h2>
Illness in terminal patients requires knowledge and understanding. If any family is facing this issue, knowing the approach to palliative care will help reduce the suffering caused by symptoms and improve the quality of life for the patient, relatives, and caregivers.
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Interesting Topics
<ol>
<li>What is Palliative Care?</li>
<li>Goals and Methods of Palliative Care</li>
<li>Who Should Receive Palliative Care?</li>
<li>Suitable Places for Palliative Care</li>
<li>How to Access Palliative Care?</li>
<li>Palliative Care Guidelines at Phyathai Nawamin Hospital</li>
<li>Comprehensive Care and Attention, Caring for the Mental Health of Those Left Behind</li>
</ol>
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<h2>What is Palliative Care?</h2>
Palliative Care is a holistic medical care approach focused on improving the quality of life for patients and their families. It helps reduce pain and suffering physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually, taking into account the needs (The living will) of the patient and family as a priority.
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<h2>Goals and Methods of Palliative Care</h2>
The goal of palliative care is to relieve discomfort symptoms experienced by patients. It is not only for patients near death or in the terminal stage but broadly for those facing life-threatening illnesses or conditions that may endanger life in the future. It aims to prevent and alleviate suffering along with psychological and spiritual care, as well as treating existing diseases as much as possible.
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The care principle starts with the physician assessing both the physical health problems and the mental state of the patient. Then, a treatment plan is made using appropriate symptom management tailored to the individual, aiming for the patient to experience a comfortable end of life without hastening or prolonging death. This helps patients and families maintain good relationships during the final stage and raises societal awareness of the value of palliative care.
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<h2>Who Should Receive Palliative Care?</h2>
Anyone facing a life-threatening illness can benefit from palliative care, which is an option to improve the quality of life for patients and families, especially in the following groups:
<ul>
<li>Cancer Patients Cancer patients can access palliative care early because they are under medical supervision from the time of diagnosis. They understand their disease and appropriate treatment options, whether in metastatic or incurable stages. Cancer patients are at risk of complications such as pain, breathlessness, nausea, stress, depression, or other comorbidities, which increase suffering.</li>
</ul>
Proper palliative care for cancer patients helps all parties understand treatment goals clearly, whether curative, symptomatic, or pain-relieving.
<ul>
<li>Patients with Organ Failure This group includes patients with end-stage renal failure, end-stage emphysema, severe chronic heart failure, and late-stage cirrhosis. These diseases have many patients but limited access to treatment, leading to gradual or sudden deterioration.</li>
<li>Vulnerable Patients/Dementia Patients with dementia, stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic), bedridden patients unable to care for themselves, and those with declining physical conditions who are highly dependent.</li>
</ul>
Palliative care for these patients varies individually, with no fixed pattern. Understanding the disease nature and planning care well—such as managing problematic behaviors, nutrition, mental health, reducing complications, and alleviating suffering—helps improve physical and mental comfort.
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In cases where cure is not possible, care focuses on maximizing quality of life during the final stage, emphasizing quality of life maintenance.
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<h2>Suitable Places for Palliative Care</h2>
Palliative care can be provided at home or in the hospital, depending on the patient’s condition. Phyathai Nawamin Hospital offers both options:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">For patients with severe symptoms, complications, or infections requiring continuous hospital care to stabilize symptoms before returning home for further care under medical advice.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400">For home care, the palliative care team plans treatment, adjusts the environment, coordinates home visits, and conducts health checks at home when patients cannot visit the hospital or have mobility issues.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>How to Access Palliative Care?</h2>
Currently, Phyathai Nawamin Hospital provides consultation and follow-up services for patients under hospital care through various channels, allowing relatives or caregivers to consult, inquire, and report patient symptoms quickly.
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<h2>Palliative Care Guidelines at Phyathai Nawamin Hospital</h2>
Starting from the diagnosis of an incurable disease until the patient reaches the terminal stage or is dying, the hospital’s palliative care aims for comprehensive care focusing on quality living and acceptance that parting is a natural part of life.
<ul>
<li>Physical Palliative Care Includes various forms such as:
<ul>
<li>Use of modern medicine to relieve symptoms, including morphine and non-morphine drugs</li>
<li>Use of alternative medicines including CBD to relieve symptoms and side effects such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia</li>
<li>Other treatments to alleviate symptoms and side effects</li>
<li>Physical therapy and rehabilitation</li>
<li>Nutritional adjustments appropriate to each stage</li>
</ul>
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<li>Psychological Palliative Care Provides counseling, conversation, listening, and helps relieve anxiety and mental stress, understanding the true goals and expectations of patients and families.</li>
<li>Social Palliative Care Patients often feel like a burden when ill and may hesitate to discuss feelings and challenges with relatives or caregivers. The hospital’s palliative care team, through Expert Care, visits, talks, inquires, conducts health checks, transports patients, assists in discussions with relatives and caregivers, and helps find solutions when caregivers feel overwhelmed.</li>
<li>Spiritual Palliative Care Patients with incurable diseases may desire a quiet place and close family care. The hospital and family work together to find goals to best meet patient needs, designing an environment conducive to care and convenient for family members, aligned with wishes, beliefs, love, forgiveness, religion, and rituals.</li>
</ul>
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<h2>Comprehensive Care and Attention, Caring for the Mental Health of Those Left Behind</h2>
In the final stage of palliative care when the patient passes away, care for relatives and family, along with counseling services, helps improve their quality of life. Often, caregivers lose life goals after the patient’s death due to long-term dedicated care. Supporting families and relatives to cope with loss and prepare for moving forward in life is equally important.
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Palliative care is a service provided by Phyathai Nawamin Hospital to improve the quality of life for patients and families facing life-threatening illnesses, not limited to cancer. Care includes consultation, prevention planning, and integrated treatment using both medication and non-medication methods or alternative treatments, including CBD (cannabis extract), to relieve suffering, pain, and distress physically and mentally, as well as supporting families in coping with loss for purposeful living.

Palliative care helps reduce pain and suffering from symptoms and various complications. It provides care for both the body and mind, during treatment and after loss, helping patients and their families have a better quality of life.

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