Patients benefit from palliative care
Palliative care has proven to be an effective way of caring for patients.
During Hospice Awareness Week (May 6 to 13), Hospice East Rand is promoting awareness of palliative care in Ekurhuleni.
Hospice East Rand is a community-based organisation whose mission is to provide high quality holistic and non-discriminatory care to patients with life-limiting diseases and their families.
Sr Sindisiwe Mdlalose, patient care manager for Hospice East Rand said, “When I joined Hospice I learnt about a different way of caring for patients, I learnt a holistic approach, which is an approach that does not just focus on treating the patient, but also looking at their emotions, the families’ emotions and many more factors.
“Palliative care is a beautiful concept, and its one I am extremely passionate about.”
She described her experience with Hospice and palliative care and the difference Hospice East Rand has made in the communities that they serve.
She first came into contact with Hospice in 1998.
A friend of hers had mentioned that she was working for Hospice and she had only positive things to say.
Sindisiwe then became interested to find out more about this concept of Hospice and palliative care.
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“From my experience, I have noted that families really do take on the burden of their loved one’s illness just as heavily as the patient and at times they feel really hopeless, lost and confused.
“That is where our counsellors come in to talk to them and give them peace of mind.
“This is a very important point for me and very underrated.
“You focus so much on the patient, when in fact the family needs just as much focus,” Sindisiwe said.
Sindisiwe then dug deeper into the impact that Hospice East Rand is making in the communities they serve.
“We treat 100 per cent of our patients in the comfort of their own homes.
“It’s a better setting, there is more comfort and they are at peace with their loved ones by their bedside,” she said.
“In a hospital, everyone knows how difficult it is to manage everyone’s needs, and at times, you are left very isolated which leads to a lot of poor care in that setting.”
For Sindisiwe, the impact of Hospice and home care compared to hospital care is the quality.
She feels strongly that the health department should have a much-needed and more open-minded approach to the impact that Hospice and palliative care can make in South Africa’s health system.
Hospice East Rand can be contacted on 011 422 1531.
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