End-of-Life Care - 1 views

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  #1 harrisn2 on 19 Nov 15

   

  I chose to look at the differences between hospice and palliative care along with the role of OT in the end-of-life setting. Hospice care is for individuals of all ages with life-limiting illnesses where further curative measures are no longer appropriate or desired by the patients. The focus in this setting is primarily symptom control as well as meeting the biopsychosocial needs of the patient and their families. Palliative care differs from hospice in that it can be initiated during any time throughout the course of illness. There still may be curative care interventions taking place. End-of-life care teams are interdisciplinary and are often made up of occupational therapy practitioners,counselors, clergypersons, volunteers, physicians, nurses, social workers, dieticians, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists. The primary role of OT in end-of-life care is to assist patients in relief from pain and suffering while also improving their quality of life through engagement in occupations that are meaningful to the patient. The OT's work closely with the families in this setting to identify meaningful occupations and to incorporate strategies to support engagement. It is essential for quality of life to help these individuals adapt and find new ways of interacting with their environment as well as with other people in order to maintain self-esteem and the roles that are meaningful to these individuals. I can see how there is a need for OT in this setting after reviewing the AOTA information on end-of-life care. Prior to reading this, I was unsure how OT could have an impact because these people are not going to regain function. However, through reviewing the environmental, contextual and personal factors, OT play a large role in helping them to adopt new ways of engaging in order to maintain a healthy quality of life throughout the rest of their lives. The loss of independence and grief from their illness can play a large role in depression and giving up on quality of life. By teaching them new ways to enjoy life and engage in meaningful occupations, you can help these individuals see life in a new way, despite their illness.
  
  
  American Occupational Therapy Association. (2011). T he role of occupational therapy in end-of-life care.American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65 (Suppl.), S66--S75. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2011.65S66

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">I chose to look at the differences between hospice and palliative care along with the role of OT in the end-of-life setting. Hospice care is for individuals of all ages with life-limiting illnesses where further curative measures are no longer appropriate or desired by the patients. The focus in this setting is primarily symptom control as well as meeting the biopsychosocial needs of the patient and their families. Palliative care differs from hospice in that it can be initiated during any time throughout the course of illness. There still may be curative care interventions taking place. End-of-life care teams are interdisciplinary and are often made up of occupational therapy practitioners,counselors, clergypersons, volunteers, physicians, nurses, social workers, dieticians, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists. The primary role of OT in end-of-life care is to assist patients in relief from pain and suffering while also improving their quality of life through engagement in occupations that are meaningful to the patient. The OT's work closely with the families in this setting to identify meaningful occupations and to incorporate strategies to support engagement. It is essential for quality of life to help these individuals adapt and find new ways of interacting with their environment as well as with other people in order to maintain self-esteem and the roles that are meaningful to these individuals. I can see how there is a need for OT in this setting after reviewing the AOTA information on end-of-life care. Prior to reading this, I was unsure how OT could have an impact because these people are not going to regain function. However, through reviewing the environmental, contextual and personal factors, OT play a large role in helping them to adopt new ways of engaging in order to maintain a healthy quality of life throughout the rest of their lives. The loss of independence and grief from their illness can play a large role in depression and giving up on quality of life. By teaching them new ways to enjoy life and engage in meaningful occupations, you can help these individuals see life in a new way, despite their illness. <br /> <br /> <br /> American Occupational Therapy Association. (2011). T he role of occupational therapy in end-of-life care.American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65 (Suppl.), S66--S75. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2011.65S66</div>

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