At the entrance of the centre, a patient shared how she ended up tossing on the bed whole night with her eyes wide open. She says sleep deprivation has become part of her life and she doesn’t know how to cope with it.
Another patient, suffering from chronic kidney ailment, struggles to get out of bed without any support. She refuses to relieve herself as the natural process has turned into an extremely painful experience because of her illness.
From an 18-year-old person suffering from bone cancer to 90-year-old patient enduring unbearable pain, the corridors of St. Joseph’s Hospice narrate many such heart-wrenching stories.
On World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, doctors share how hospice care would go a long way in ensuring dignity for those who are on the threshold of death.
With ‘Living and Dying in Pain: It doesn’t have to happen’ as the current year’s theme, specialists say there is a need to adopt a patient-centric approach to deal with chronically-ill patients whose constant companions happen to be pain and fear.
“Here, a loving touch and a smile comprise therapeutic properties. Patients share their secrets with us. When we listen to them and try to erase their fears offering a practical solution, that’s when they see a ray of hope,” observes Vidya Viswanath, Assistant Professor in the Department of Palliative Care, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and palliative care physician.
Ever since its inception in 2012, St. Joseph’s Hospice, run by St. Joseph Hospital and Sneha Sandhya Age Care Foundation, the six-bedded facility has provided service to about 450 terminally-ill patients.
In 2016, the count has already touched 180.
“Certain symptoms such as pain, nausea, shortness of breath and cough affect the quality of patients with life-limiting illness. Those who need 24-hour attention get admitted to the hospice care centre as the treatment includes catering to their psychological and emotional needs along with spiritual interventions,” says N.S. Raju, palliative care physician and managing trustee of the foundation.
With a variety of alternate therapies being offered to patients, some also show signs of recovery.
“In many cases, patients have been sent back home as environment plays a key role in the healing process,” says Dr. Vidya, indicating that palliative care treatment still remains inaccessible to many and there is a need for a large-scale awareness campaign on the facility across the State.
