Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-03-26, Page 42HOPE Page 13 Palliative Care Service helps terminally ill BY JOANNE BUCHANAN ' A few years ago while Connie Osborn of Goderich Township was researching a university project on the terminally ill, she discovered the need for a palliative care service in the area. With the encouragement of Goderich hospital administrator Elmer Taylor, Mrs. Osborn began to co-ordinate such a service at the hospital in March of 1982. She now has 13 volunteers and has received six referrals to the service since it began, many of them cancer patients. However, the largest percentage of the work has involved home visiting for the bereaved. Palliative care involves a team effort - doctors, nurses, dieticians, volunteers and others -to meet the needs of patients for whom treatment aimed at cure is no longer possible (the terminally ill and long term disabled). Therapy centers 'on enhancing the quality of remaining life; focusing on pain management and symptom control; and psychological, spiritual and personal • growth. Mrs. Osborn says the basis of palliative care is good pain management. The patient's doctor prescribes drugs which reduce the pain to a tolerable level while at the same time allowing him to remain alert. Once the pain is under control, palliative care volunteers can give social, psychological and spiritual support where needed. The volunteers are not to replace the patient's family but to supplement this support (they are of special value when the patient has no family nearby or no family at all). • "The volunteers must build a relationship of trust with the patient and pay attention to all the little details of comfort which they can give. This helps buy the patient time to get his house in order," explains Mrs. Osborn. Volunteers work with the families of terminally ill patients too, both before and after those patients have died. They must be empathetic and tactful as well as being good listeners, says Mrs. Osborn. __--Vo iieers- receive eight—three-hour— training ight thr our -- training sessions twice a year. These sessions cover all aspects of death and dying Connie Osborn watches Michael Owen on video-tape and how the palliative care service works. A psychology test is given in the first session to examine the volunteers' attitudes towards death and dying. The palliative care service is hospital based and free of charge. It offers daily visiting in hospital; some home visits; bereavement follow-up; and 24-hour emergency on-call service for family support in life threatening situations. Mrs. Osborn says the palliative care service has dealt with patients of all ages. "All of the patients have been exceptional people. They have been very accepting of their impending deaths and have given strength to those around them," she says. One particular patient whom Mrs. Osborn would like to mention is Michael Owen of Bayfield. He died of cancer at the age of 53 on September 12, 1983. As well as ,being a patient who used the service, Mr. Owen also became a volunteer and his dream was to see the development of a free standing hosbuilding outside the hospital with a home- like atmosphere where terminally ill patients' could go once it was no longer feasible for them to remain in their own homes (a primary goal of palliative care and hospice service is to keep the patient in his own home as long as possible). "Michael Owen was exceptional because he had accepted his illness and impending death. He was interested in the quality of his remaining days. He became a volunteer with the palliative care service and he pushed for a hospice here," explains Mrs. Osborn. Before he died, Mr. Owen allowed himself to be video-taped. On this tape, he talks about his feelings after he learned he had cancer and how he coped with the knowledge that he only had six months' to live. Mrs. Osborn plans to show the tape to palliative care volunteers as part of their training. On the tape, Mr. Owen says that people who are dying are no different from anyone else. "Our whole life is built up to dying. It is the only one certainty in our lives," he states. After he learned he had cancer, Mr. Owen says his first reaction was to go home. "I had to be in my own environment," he says. His faith as a Roman Catholic helped sustain him and he says the quality of his life became more important than the quantity. Mr. Owen tells palliative care volunteers not to force themselves on any patient who doesn't want to talk to them. He says the patient is the most important person and usually wants to function as long as he or she can, even if it means simple things like paying the bills. He says he would like to see a hospice in every town the size of Goderich or Exeter. A hospice would not only help the dying person, but that person's family its well. Two months after Mr. Owen died, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich received a Federal Government grant of $17,090 to assess the need for a free- standing hospice in Goderich. Surveys are ° now being conducted with health professionals, the bereaved and the P;e1.a.#.sg1� ull then e1d Ss.A-fe l �9�9r*v` i — then be submitted to the government in April. Dealing with grief after death of a loved one The word cancer should not be synonomous with the word death. There is always HOPE. But sometimes people do die of cancer and their loved ones must learn how to cope with the loss. The bereaved cannot and should not be ignored. If you have lost a family member or friend through death, you will go through a mourning period. Here are some ways to deal with grief: PSYCHOLOGICAL Everyone needs some help -don't be afraid to accept it. While you may feel pressured to put on a brave front, it is important to make your needs known by expressing your feelings to those you trust. Often numbness sees one through the first few days or weeks. Don't be too surprised if a let -down comes later. Many people are more emotionally upset during bereavement than at any other time in their lives and are frightened by this. Be aware that severe upset is not unusual and if. you are alarmed, seek a professional opinion. Whether you feel you need to be alone or accompanied, make it known. Needing company is common and does not mean you will'always be dependent on it. There is no set time limit for grieving. It varies from person to person, depending on individual circumstances. PHYSICAL It is easy t4 neglect yourself because you don't much care at a time of grief. You are under great stress and may be more susceptible to disease. It is especially important not to neglect your health. Try to eat reasonably even if there is no enjoyment in it. Although sleep may be disturbed, try to get adequate rest. If you have symptoms, get a doctor to check them out. If people urge 'you to see your doctor, do so even if it doesn't make sense to you at the time. SOCIAL Friends and family are often most available early in bereavement and less so later. It is important to be able to reach out to them when you need them. Don't wait for them to guess your needs. They will often guess incorrectly and too late. .During a period of grief, it can be difficult to judge new relationships. Don't be afraid of them, yet it is usually wise not to rush into them. Someone who is not too close t� you but who is willing to listen may, be particularly helpful. No one will substitute for your loss. Try to enjoy people as they are. Do not avoid social contacts because of the imperfections in those you meet. Sometimes, in an effort to stop the pain of grief, people turn towards replacing the lost person (i.e.: adoption of a child, remarriage) too soon. It is hard, though, to see new relationships objectively if you are still actively grieving and this kind of solution may only lead to other problems. • Try to make clear to children that sadness is perfectly normal and that neither theirs nor yours needs to be hidden. It is important that periods of happiness are enjoyed and . are not a cause of guilty feelings. ECONOMIC Avoid hasty decisions. Try not to make major life decisions within the first year unless absolutely necessary. In general, most people find it best to remain settled in- familiar surroundings until they can consider their future calmly. Don't be afraid to seek good advice. Usually it is wise . to get more than one opinion before making decisions. Don't make any major financial decisions without talking them over with experts. Having a job or doing voluntary work in the community can be helpful when you are ready but it is important not to overextend yourself. A job will not fulfill all your needs and you should not turn to excessive involvement in work. Relationships with family and friends should not be sacrificed in an effort to keep busy. SPIRITUAL Personal faith is frequently a major. source of comfort during bereavement. For some, however, maintaining faith may be difficult during this period of loss. Either reaction may occur, and both are consistant with later spiritual growth. This information is brought to you with the kind co-operation of the following: THE BURKLEY RESTAURANT AND TAVERN 312 MAIN ST., EXETER 235-1 730 t MtCHAEL_P._O 'C(1NNOR F BONTHRON CHAPEL 118 KING STREET HENSALL, ONTARIO NOM 1X0 TELEPHONE 282-2211 UNERAL HOMES WESTLAKE CHAPEL 49 GOSHEN STREET, N. ZURICH, ONTARIO NOM 2T0 TELEPHONE 238-4365 FUNERAL HOME PHONES STORE 235-1990. FUNERAL HOME 235 1220 � vss 322 Mak, 8 a— neigiet emitter ExertOnteeio NOM 980 11.1raa.l .n Ow Old Town Halh TOLL FREE 1-800-265-7022 EXETER AREA 235-2090 8