Palliative Care
Common misconceptions about palliative care
In her Expert Input for the first edition of our newsletter, Tersia Burger of the APCC, dispels a number of common myths about palliative and hospice care. These include:
Myth: Palliative care is for end-of-life. Truth: Palliative care should ideally be accessed from the point of diagnosis with a life-threatening illness. It is recommended that you find out where your nearest hospice is and find out more about their admissions criteria and process.
Myth: To receive palliative care, one needs to be admitted to a hospice. Truth: Over 90% of the care that hospices offer is in the comfort of patients’ homes. Some hospices in South Africa have specialised IPUs (in-patient units), but most do not.
Myth: Palliative care is only for the patient. Truth: Palliative care is a holistic form of care that addresses the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimension of illness and it is provided to by an inter-disciplinary team of specialists who support both the patient and their loved ones. The care often extends to the provision of bereavement and grief support, where necessary.
Myth: Palliative care is not affordable. Truth: Some medical aids pay for their members to access this, some people pay for themselves and many people are subsidised by donations that hospices raise. To find out more it is best to discuss this with a hospice near you.
Myth: Hospices cannot provide high levels of care. Truth: The Association of Palliative Care Centres has developed and regularly updates Standards for Palliative Healthcare Services that are internationally recognised.
To read more about this please visit https://www.dignitysouthafrica.org/news1-expert-views