End Care While Terminal Illness - Essay Example

Running Head: End Care End Care [Institute’s End Care Introduction Often it happens that at the last stages of various terminalillnesses, the concerned people decides to change their care priorities and this is why they decide to go for analgesic care instead of some healing measures so that they can assist the affected person to get relief from symptoms, emotional stress and pain (Connor, 2009). In addition, for the purpose of ensuring that the affected person’s last days go as well as they can go, the concerned ones are required to undertake something beyond a series of care choices (Pinquart & Sörensen, 2003). Thus, it is imperative for the concerned ones to comprehend and undertake end care for the affected person to facilitate him to go through the pain in his last days with least stress and sorrow. Cultural or Traditional Issues The cultural or traditional issues which could arise during end care is when an end care service provider’s cultural norms differ from that of the patient’s cultural or traditional norms, which can affect the quality of end care service which a patient receives from the provider. In addition, this is why it has become imperative for the end care service providers to enhance their cultural competencies for the purpose of further improving the quality of their end care service. Moreover, it is also very vital for the end care service provider to have a lucid understanding and appreciation regarding the exclusive and particular influence, which a culture exerts on a particular patient’s attitude, behavior, decisions and preferences regarding end-of-life care. Family’s Reaction Ella wishes to stick with alternative and complementary practices. Ella’s family members may not be convinced with alternative and complementary practices and may not want her to stick to those practices. The reason being that such practices may not be as productive as to the modern medical practice and may have certain limitations, which may not be able to cure, or sooth Ella’s condition. Ella is coerced into following mainstream medical advice. Most of the family members may be convinced with the mainstream medical practice and may propel Ella to go with this method of care. The reason being such method may help her to cure herself with relative ease and can certainly help her to detect the problems with her medical illness. However, some family members may not want Ella to go for the mainstream medical practice as it may not have any impact on her health and would prefer Ella to follow her path. Ella’s husband insists that, as father and husband, his family traditions should be adhered to. The family may not have a favorable view on this decision. Such decision could have an adverse impact on Ella’s health and could worsen her medical illness. Her husband should strictly analyze the medical condition of Ella and should make a condition accordingly in this regard. Micro Influence Cancer has the biggest impact at a Micro level. In Ella’s case, her friends and families members will certainly have a very hard time in adjusting to her ailing medical condition. They have to take her care with consistency and also need to take care of their emotions. Mezzo Influence Cancer can have a deep impact on social roles and relationships and could also result in social isolation. The Mezzo influence could have some other effects as well. If the marital as well as relationship strain has able to predates the impact of cancer, the caregiver could have the care-giving approach in a substantially different manner. Macro influence From a macro level, the impact is somewhat contrasting. If done with the utmost relevance, care giving at macro level can result in direct care, consistent assistance with activity of daily living, emotional and moral support, and companionship and can even result in medication supervision. Family Conflicts & Differences Ella’s medical condition may have a contrasting impact on the family. People who suffer from cancer can suffer more due to the lack of communication with their family members. Such illness causes changes in their roles and responsibilities and can also cause resentment and anxiety. Some of the family members of Ella may not feel comfortable in openly discussing their emotions her. It may also happen that some family members may even avoid her because they may feel that she has no life left or they may feel they are helpless and cannot do anything to improve the medical condition (Sörensen & Duberstein, 2002). Such tough situations could create a difference of opinion in families rather than being together and minimizing the effects. Neighborhood’s Reaction The neighborhood and extended family members can have varying results. The surrounding community will closely analyze the situation with which Ella is going through and will try to give their support to her. The society should try to ensure that the needs as well as the challenges of Ella and her family are closely understood and addressed along with the much larger and more devastating health issues. Community Resources If Ella returns home, there are some things, which have to be considered by her family. She will have to receive further home care and her family must be responsible for managing her care with the utmost consistency, organizing and managing all the necessary medical supplies, organizing all the medical emergencies, which could arise and navigating her health care system regularly (Connor, 2009). Apart from that, various social communities and charitable organizations can be a source of good help and can also provide companionship, can raise necessary medical appointments, and can go for the important personal errands. The Social network and community resources can certainly be of great help because they can help in networking with other family members or distant relatives and help them in linking with other formal resources and can provide further social support (Glajchen, 2003). Disadvantages of Palliative Care (Hospital) against Hospice Care One disadvantage of palliative care against hospice car is that in the hospice car, the concerned ones in addition to providing the patient with care, also provides him with emotional support as well. As the family and friends are allowed and encouraged to look after and also to provide emotional support to the patient as much as they can, hence this assist the patient to alleviate his pain and stress as much as possible. While in palliative care, it is the doctors who decide the frequency of interactions between the patient and his families and friends. Another disadvantage of palliative care against hospice car is that in the hospice car, as the concerned ones try to ensure that the patient is provided with the most comfortable setting, as the patients demands and wishes for, hence this facilitates the patient to relieve himself from worries regarding uncomfortable setting. While in palliative car, it is the doctors who decide that what should be the most comfortable setting for the patient, that is, they do not give much consideration to patients demand regarding what a comfortable setting should be as per him. Advantages of Palliative Care (Hospital) against Hospice Care (Home) One advantage of palliative car over hospice care is that in the palliative care, a patient is provided with the facility of medical machineries, which a patient may not get in a hospice care. Moreover, in a palliative car, a patient is also provided with certain treatments, such as nourishment through a feeding tube, which a patient may not be provided with in a hospice care. Another advantage of palliative car over hospice care is that as in the palliative care, access to patient is restricted to close family members only. It means that other relatives and friends of the patients are not allowed by the doctors to have frequent interaction with the patient, hence this provides the patients to spend their last days only with his close family members, which most of the patients like to do. Whereas in the hospice care, as the hospice workers and volunteers enter patients home at any time of day, hence this can be uncomfortable for the patients as mostly patients would want to spend their last days with their close family members, especially with his wife or with her husband. Psychological & Social Issues According to Zabora & Piantadosi (2001), it is a fact that diagnosis of cancer could be very stressful event and it could have a devastating impact on patients as well as their families. From a psychological as well as a social perspective, Patients and other family members can become extremely disturbed and can even suffer from various levels of ever-changing depression and it could thus result in severe Illness and stress reactions. In the case of Ella, family functioning as well as patients illness characteristics is one of those crucial factors, which can have a devastating might on the depression, and anxiety of the family. If a family can act openly and are able to express feelings directly and can also solve problems effectively do have lower levels of depression. At such a stressful and depressing time, direct communication is highly essential and can certainly lower the level of anxiety. Cultural, Psychological, and Social Perspectives Social Influence The social impact of cancer is highly overwhelming. The impact of cancer as well as the pain could be highly ameliorated due to the social and technical expertise given by the community. Experts (Connor, 2009) have indicated that besides psychological influence, cancer affects social relationships between the patient and the family members, as well as the neighborhood drastically. Cultural influence By keeping a cancer diagnosis as a hidden secret from a patient and to consistently avoid discussions of the disease could harm her health. It is important that cultural, traditional and religious beliefs regarding illness are properly identified and discussed with Ella. It is important to note that caregiver assessment can have a multidimensional impact and can reflect a culturally competent practice in this regard. Various studies have also shown that cultural and social beliefs do play a huge role in influencing individual and family emotions within the cancer experience. Psychological influence Cancer can have a mixed psychological influence on families. Various personality characteristics, which include optimism and pessimism, are tested during this period. Other scenarios, which include families being burdened by a potential loss, stressed life and a shaking relationship with the patient, could have an overwhelming impact on the affected individual. Impact of Lifespan Development on Family Members The concept of lifespan development begins from the inception of life and ends with the death of an individual. During the lifespan of an individual, there are various changes and developments which constantly take place and the changes are due to the common psychological as well as biological heritage which is due to the human relationships and is a common perception which is shared by each and every human (Kim & Given, 2008). In the case of Ella’s family and her medical condition, the impact of lifespan development can certainly have a mixed impact on the perspectives and the perceptions of the different members of various family members. Some family members can display delayed reactions, which include grief, self-reliance and are hesitant in forming relationships. Some family members may not even cry and may not appear to be relatively upset but are also volatile to future demise of other family members. References Connor, S. R. (2009). Hospice and Palliative Care. New York: Taylor & Francis. Glajchen, M. (2003). The emerging role and needs of family caregivers in cancer care. The Journal of Supportive Oncology, 2(2), 145-155. Kim, Y., & Given, B. A. (2008). Quality of life of family caregivers of cancer survivors. Cancer, 112(S11), 2556-2568. Pinquart, M., & Sörensen, S. (2003). Differences between caregivers and noncaregivers in psychological health and physical health: a meta-analysis. Psychology and aging, 18(2), 250. Sörensen, & Duberstein, P. (2002). How effective are interventions with caregivers? An updated meta-analysis. The Gerontologist, 42(3), 356-372. Zabora, J., & Piantadosi, S. (2001). The prevalence of psychological distress by cancer site. Psycho‐Oncology, 10(1), 19-28. Read More