|
| Division of Occupational Therapy - OT Connect Hospice
Hospice is a unique way of providing comfort and support to patients and their families when a terminal illness no longer responds to curative treatments. The goal of Hospice care is not to prolong life, but to improve the patient’s last days of life by providing comfort (Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., 2001). Hospice care uses a team approach to caring for the hospice patient and their family. This team may include a hospice director, physicians, nurses, counselors, spiritual leaders, social workers, dietitians, pharmacists, therapist (occupational, physical, etc.), home health aides, and volunteers. The team also depends on family and friends if available. The Hospice team addresses physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of the patient and family. Physical needs may include pain relief, personal hygiene, and positioning of the body for comfort and functional use. Occupational therapy can be especially helpful in assisting both the client and the family adapt household furniture and existing clothing to accommodate the addition of catheters, oxygen pumps, and other medical devices. During this difficult time families often need special training to safely manage moving the client from the bed to the chair, managing toilet and other personal hygiene tasks, and adapting everyday activities so that the terminally ill person can participate for as long as possible. Occupational therapists can provide adapt devices to many common board and card games, and have training in basic computer access and mobility options. Common diagnosis for clients in Hospice care include:
Services provided by the Occupational Therapist include providing support for the patient to remain as independent as possible. Occupational Therapist’s also help the patient come to term with his or her life and the meaning it has held, redefine roles, achieve relaxation, conserve energy, and manage pain and anxiety. The Occupational Therapist assists the patient in continuing to participate in activities that are meaningful to them and their family. To allow the patient to participate, the Occupational Therapist may need to adjust the activity or a part of the activity to the patient’s functional abilities (Griswold, 1998). References
How OT Makes a Difference: Evidence-Based Practice A qualitative study by Prochnau, Liu, and Boman (2003) examined the experiences of occupational therapist working in palliative care. Their findings included five themes, satisfaction, hardships and difficulties, coping, spirituality, and growth. Occupational therapists reported a great deal of satisfaction from “the appreciation expressed by the clients and families.” Hardships and difficulties were identified during times when a large number of deaths occurred in a short period of time. Each occupational therapist identified certain coping strategies they employ to deal with their own feelings and experiences. Some use self-reflection during journal writing, while others choose to attend funerals and meet with families one last time. Spirituality was determined to become more meaningful in the life of the occupational therapist as a result of interactions with clients and their families. Occupational therapists reported growth in their personal lives after practicing in palliative care. It is suggested that occupational therapists experience the themes found during this study in all areas of OT, however they are “experienced more intensely by occupational therapists working in palliative care. Mrs. S is a 53-year-old female who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer 9 months ago. She has decided to remain in her home with her husband as her primary care giver. He works from home which allows him the freedom to care for his wife. They have 2 grown children who live near by and 4 grandchildren. Her primary care physician referred Mrs. S to the local Hospice. She is receiving nursing services, home health aids, social work, and occupational therapy. She has declined pastoral services because her Chaplin visits on a regular basis. Mrs. S’s primary concern at this time is that her young grandchildren will not remember her once she has passed. The occupational therapist along with Mrs. S has decided to begin making memory quilts for each of her four grandchildren. She has decided to ask each of her children to gather photos and special clothing items to be incorporated into the quilts. The occupational therapist also works with Mrs. S on energy conservation techniques and work simplification to allow her to continue to be as independent with her daily tasks as possible.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
