Palliative care that provides all the basic needs (physical, psychological, and moral) to the patient who is suffering from a chronic debilitating disease like advanced cancer, lung, renal, cardiac disease or may be dementia in their homes or in a homely environment. The Home Pal is provided by a trained multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, social workers, physiotherapists, volunteers and others as per the need of the disease progression. The care provided by the team is at par with the standard palliative care practiced in the hospitals, institutions or hospices.
Teams of doctors, nurses, social workers and chaplains travel primarily to patients’ homes and also to the rehabilitation centres and help in long term care of the patients, who are suffering from terminal illnesses.
The general principles of Palliative care hold good in case of Home as well, which can be briefly narrated as follows:
• Controlling the distressing symptoms of illness, like pain relief, etc.
• Independence.
• Intends neither to hasten nor postpone death. Rather it provides emotional, spiritual and cultural wellbeing to the patent.
• Planning for the future.
• Preparing oneself for the inevitable – death. Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process
• Will enhance quality of life, and may also positively influence the course of illness
• Caring for their family and carers.