Palliative care is a patient and a family-centered approach that is best delivered by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. The professionals support their patients and their families by catering to their functional, physical, psychological spiritual, and social care needs.
Palliative care is offered by a team of healthcare professionals. This could be social workers, bereavement counselors, pastoral care workers, music therapists, or occupational therapists.
Type of Doctors in a Palliative Care Team
If you are living with a life-limiting illness and have opted for palliative care, you will see a range of doctors, including:
- Psychiatrists
- Physicians
- General practitioners
- Surgeons
- Palliative care consultants
Each doctor has a different role to play and offer a different kind of medical care.
Along with a team of specialist doctors, there’s a team of palliative care nurses that manage most of the patient’s ongoing treatment. The nursing staff is responsible to assess the situation, plan and administer the daily treatment while making it easier for the patient to manage their symptoms.
Allied Health Professionals
Allied health professionals work as a part of the palliative care team. They help manage day-to-day tasks, treat symptoms, and provide rehabilitation services while offering emotional support.
These professionals include but are not limited to:
- Dietitian
- Occupational therapist
- Counselors
- Physiotherapists
- Music therapist
- Podiatrists
- Orthotists and prosthetists
- Pastoral care workers
- Psychologists
- Pharmacists
- Social workers
Responsibility of the Palliative Team
The palliative care team works together with the patient, caregiver, and the patient’s primary physician to make their life better and comfortable.
The responsibilities of the palliative care team include:
- Initial meeting to determine the disease, needs, concerns, goals and treatment options.
- Providing medical, emotional and physical support throughout the entire process.
- Prescribing medicines, treatments, and activities to manage pain and side-effects.
- Allowing healthcare providers to focus on the treatment.
- Guiding the patients and their families while coordinating their medical needs.
To speak to someone at Inspiration Hospice about palliative care services, get in touch with us today. Call us on 385-247-2020!
