5^th World Congress on Hospice and Palliative Care 18-19, July-2018 Melbourne Australia

Biography:

 

Abstract:

Diabetes is an underlying cause of death in over 60% of deaths due to diabetes complications and other comorbidities. People with diabetes have a shorter life expectancy than the population. Quality diabetes palliative and end of life care requires a personalized approach and should be a proactive collaborative endeavor. Clinicians are reluctant to discuss these issues with people with diabetes and there is limited guidance to support their decision-making.

Biography:

S. Irudaya Rajan has completed his PhD at the age of 30 years from International Institute for Population Sciences, Bombay. He is Professor at Centre for Development Studies, Kerala, India. He has published extensively in national and international journals on social, economic, health and demographic facets of aging since the last three decades. He conducted the first longitudinal Aging Survey in Kerala in 2004, which is repeated every three years, and entered its fifth wave in 2016. He has been involved in several projects on aging funded by the United Nations, South Asian Network of Economic Institutes, Indo-Dutch Program on Alternatives in Development, Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, International Development Research Centre, World Bank and Help Age International.

 

Abstract:

India’s elderly population stands at 123 million in 2018. According to the 2014 round of the National Sample Survey, two million elderly persons in India are bedridden and another seven million are confined within their households. Who will take care of them during their sunset years? The issue of caring for the elderly, and ensuring their dignity at death, should thus receive immediate public attention. In this context, this paper is an attempt to understand the steps taken by government and other agencies in India to cater to the care needs of the elderly. It further looks at the flaws in these mechanisms and offers some suggestions to improve the present situation. We shall use government reports, organisations working in the field of palliative care and Kerala Aging Survey data. Palliative care for elderly in India is still in the early stage of development. Many elderly are not aware of the existing policies on palliative care. Awareness programmes, care training centres, etc. are need of the hour. Though we have multiple mechanisms in the area of palliative care for the elderly, there are many loopholes here which have to be addressed.

 

Biography:

Dr Lekganyane is an emerging researcher. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in social work at the age of 25 from the Univrsity of South Africa. In 2009 he completed his Masters in Social behaviour studies in HIV focusing on HIV and AIDS-related stigma and later on in 2017 he completed his PhD in Social work where he lookded into the experiences and challenges faced by home-based caregivers caring for people living with HIV and AIDS. Dr Lekganyane wokered for the Non-governmental organisations in South africa and for various government departments. He is currently a Senior lecturer in the department of social work at the University of South Africa. In his academic career, Dr Lekganyane published two articles in the fields of HIV and AIDS and palliative home-based care.

Abstract:

The nature of relationship that palliative caregivers have with their patients is a very personal experience requiring sustained effort from both the caregiver and the patient to enhance this relationship. Whereas the former allow the latter into their private lives to care for and support them, the latter expect patients to cut-off certain behaviours and lifestyles, which may aggravate their conditions. The overall aim in this process is to help the patients to recover from their condition and develop strength enough to care for themselves and fend for their loved ones. With the dearth of research-based literature around the nature of relationship, palliative caregivers have with their patients, qualitative research, which was guided by descriptive, contextual and phenomenological research designs, was conducted in South Africa to uncover the dynamics involved in the relationship between the caregivers and their patients during the caregiving process. Twenty-five palliative caregivers who were sampled through purposeful and snowball sampling responded to the semi-structured interviews, which were later analysed. Frustrations were found to be common among caregivers as triggered by patients with mood swings, some of whom lacked hope, abuse substances and non-compliant to treatment. Some male and older patients who respectively refused to be cared by young and female caregivers further exacerbated this relationship, making it more hostile. Suggestions for programs aiming to support caregivers to enhance their relationship with patients to be developed and integrated into palliative care programs.

 

Biography:

Abstract:

Since ancient times, the obligation of the physician was to relieve suffering. Despite this fact, little attention was given to the problem of suffering and dying in medical education, research or practice. In the 21st Century life expectancy is increasing, more people live with serious effects of chronic illnesses, and they must deal with many complex issues: relief of symptoms, effect of the illness on roles and relationships, restoring or maintaining quality of life. Each of these issues creates expectations, needs, hopes and fears, which must be addressed in order for the ill person to adapt and continue living, and presents a set of public health challenges requiring the attention of policy makers.Traditionally end of life care in the form of Palliative care has been offered mostly to cancer patients. For some years this kind of care has been offered for a wider range of serious illnesses, and was integrated more broadly across care services.Hospice was created as "a coordinated program providing palliative care to terminally ill patients and supportive services to patients, families, 24 hours a day seven days a week. Services are comprehensive, case managed based on physical ,social , spiritual and emotional needs during the dying process by medically directed interdisciplinary team consisting of patients, families, health care professionals and volunteers"(WHO).Hospice treatment is the most personalized way to care, by recognizing a patient not only like a body part, but as a unique being, with soul and psyche. Each patient means a new book to be read and understood by the team.Accordingly, Hospice care is flexible, and aggressive palliative interventions have to answer some questions: what is the goal of intervention?, does the intervention has a chance of high efficacy?, what is the impact on the patient (side effects, complications, discomfort)? what is the life expectancy?, and what does the patient want? Hospice program is limited for those patients diagnosed with terminal illness with a limited life spam and it is not a must in health care system. Hospice is a choice and any individual has the right, in conformity with the law, to decide how to be treated when facing a terminal illness. Those patients refusing to accept the imminence of death and want to continue to fight they are not eligible for hospice. Those prefer to concentrate on living as comfortably as they can until their last day prefer the hospice care.