According to a survey the majority of people would prefer to have a good supervision and support in a familiar environment and among their relatives during the last months of their life. This is the case especially for people suffering from incurable diseases such as cancer or a chronic lung disease (COPD). However, in Germany the majority of patients suffering from incurable diseases of this kind pass away at hospitals or at nursing houses; this is because family doctors, nursing services or homecare providers receive too little support for home palliative care, thus not being able to cope with particular situations and crises at home. "This is where the PAALiativ project intervenes to develop support services for homecare for the seriously ill patients," says Dr. Steffen Simon, from the Department of Palliative Care at the King's College in London.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - BMBF, in German) with a budget of € 1.5 million for a three-year period; the partners will provide additional resources of the same amount.
For the Head of the house of emergency at the Johanniter Foundation in Stedingen, Alexander Jüptner the focus is on people. "The technology only helps the suppliers to make the right decisions quickly."
Likewise, the State Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Lower Saxony, Mr. Heiner Pott stressed that machines do not replace people but facilitate the care of patients. "COPD patients often suffer from shortness of breath anxiety which is exacerbated by the fear of suffocation," he explains. Many of these patients would prefer to stay at home rather than at the hospital, but they do not dare to do so, as they are afraid that in a possible respiratory crisis they will not be given oxygen fast enough. "If these people know that they can be helped at their own places immediately, they would choose their homes even if their disease was in an advanced level", he pointed out.
Dr. Simon presented the results of the analysis phase, adding that "In crises like an attack of shortness of breath, a family member, as a first point of contact, almost always helps." However, relatives would wish to be provided with clear instructions about what to do in case of an emergency, with additional social welfare assistance as well as with answers to their questions. Relatives and patients are united around the hope that their lives can continue without the constant fear of going to the hospital. "You want a sense of normality," adds Dr. Simon. The technology provided by the project will offer new ways for an independent and socially integrated life with the best possible quality of life at home.
Further information:
---
Quelle/Source: epractice, 20.07.2010
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
