Global Healthcare & Fitness Summit

Biography

Biography: Lai-Chu See

Abstract

Background: Hospice palliative care is a type of care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms, provides support to the emotional and spiritual needs for the patients and their family, and assists their family to cope with patients’ dying. Because the shortage of hospice wards, the Public Health Department of New Taipei City Government initiated a program of community-based hospice palliative care since July 2013. Aims: To revise the program of community-based hospice palliative care by performing a questionnaire survey to those who received the service in New Taipei City from July to December, 2013. Methods: Secondary data analysis was performed and descriptive statistics was mainly used. Results: Data of 40 patients (54.1%) who completed the service were used for this study. Cancer was the predominant disease (72.5%) among these patients. Two-third had signed the consent form of not resuscitating and not applying life-sustaining medical treatment, respectively, and only 20.0% had signed the form of hospice service in advance. Support and listening was needed most (patients 50.0%, family 66.7%), followed by explaining the disease status and prognosis (patients 29.2%, family 45.8%), assisting accomplishment of patients’ wish (patients 20.8%, family 20.8%). Many items in preparation of good death was accomplished. Status of physical, emotion, spirit were worse before death. Most families were satisfied with the service. Conclusion: Community-based hospice palliative care is an option for terminally-ill patients. Support, listening, explaining the disease status and prognosis are the major needs but with low accomplishment.