How palliative care and physiotherapy can help in relieving patients of pain with limited time to live
What is Palliative care?
Palliative care, which includes physiotherapy, is a specialized medical care system that improves the quality of life of patients and their families who are facing problems associated with life-threatening illness. It prevents and relieves suffering through the early identification, correct assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual. Palliative care uses a team approach to support patients and their caregivers.
Palliative care statistics
An article published in October 2021 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), states:
“Each year, it is estimated over 56.8 million people, including 25.7 million in the last year of life, are in need of palliative care, of whom 78% live in low- and middle-income countries. However, it is estimated that only about 12% of people needing palliative care receive this care. The 2014 World Health Assembly (WHA) Resolution 67.19 on Palliative Care which states the provision of palliative care is a moral imperative of health systems and it should be integrated into all levels of health care.”
The chart below shows the wide range of diseases that require Palliative care.
Range of diseases that require Palliative Care
Other conditions that require palliative care include:
- Kidney failure
- Chronic liver disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson’s disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Neurological disorder
- Dementia
- Congenital anomalies
- Drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Physioactive took the opportunity to interview Dr. Sandeep Bhagat, who is in the board of Palliative Care Victoria, head of-unit of Palliative care at Peninsula Health and adjunct lecturer at Monash University. Have a look at the Q&A to learn more on this subject.
Further details
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Sandeep Bhagat, you can follow visit him website or call +61 406 666 742
To learn more about our physiotherapy services including home-visit treatments, you can visit our website or schedule an appointment directly as well.
