ON 31 October, Drakenstein Hospice will present their annual Spring Walk, starting at 06:00 (22 km) and 08:00 (fun walk) at Paarl Rugby Club to raise funds for their activities caring for people who need hospice and palliative care and cannot access it. Enter at 109 Breda Street, Paarl, or www.drakensteinhospice. org.za or phone 021-872-4060.
* World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is celebrated on 10 October. Palliative care is the medical speciality focused on relief of the pain, stress and other debilitating symptoms of serious illness.
The goal is to relieve suffering and provide the best possible quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative care is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Patients have a range of diseases and respond differently to treatment options. A key benefit of palliative care is that it customises treatment to meet the individual needs of each patient. Palliative care relieves symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. It helps patients gain the strength to carry on with daily life. It improves their ability to tolerate medical treatments and it helps them better understand their choices for care.
Palliative care is not the same as hospice or chronic patient care. Hospice care always provides palliative care. However, it is focused on terminally ill patients.
Palliative care is provided by a team of experts including palliative care doctors, nurses, home based carers, volunteers and social workers. Chaplains, massage therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists and others might also be part of the team. Drakenstein Palliative Hospice provides free palliative care by an interdisciplinary team to all who qualify for the service within the Drakenstein District.
Contact Drakenstein Palliative Hospice on 021-872-4060.
