Categories of services
Pain and symptom control
- Pain medication administration
- Dyspnea (breathing difficulty) control
- Nausea and vomiting management
- Pressure ulcer care
- Fever, anxiety, insomnia control
- General condition monitoring
Medical care and nursing
- Wound dressings and care
- IV infusions and injections
- Urinary catheter placement and care
- Stoma care
- Sample collection
- Monitoring (blood pressure, pulse, glucose, oxygen saturation)
- Prevention of immobilization complications
Personal care and functional support
- Body hygiene assistance
- Mobilization and bed positioning
- Pressure ulcer prevention
- Feeding and hydration assistance
- Medical device recommendations (medical bed, anti-bedsore mattress, walker, etc.)
Psychological counseling and emotional support
- Support for the patient in accepting the disease
- Reducing anxiety and depression
- Support for family and caregivers
- Bereavement counseling
Social support and family education
- Training caregivers on patient care
- Counseling on social and medical rights
- Coordination with the family doctor and other medical services
Indicated patient types
- Oncology patients — advanced cancer, metastases, severe chronic pain.
- Neurological diseases — Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, stroke with severe disability.
- Severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases — advanced heart failure, severe COPD, chronic respiratory failure.
- Other progressive chronic conditions — end-stage renal disease, advanced liver cirrhosis, severe degenerative diseases.
- Permanently bedridden patients.
- Frail elderly patients — multiple chronic conditions, fully or partially dependent.
The palliative care team
- Physician
- General medical nurse
- Psychologist
- Physiotherapist
- Social worker
- Home caregiver
Key benefits
- The patient stays in the family environment.
- Hospitalizations decrease.
- Patient comfort and dignity increase.
- The family receives support and training.
- Better pain and symptom control.
Palliative care is NOT only for the last days of life. It can begin at earlier stages of the disease and can be provided alongside curative treatment.