Palliative Care: Physical, Emotional, and Holistic Approaches

This report analyzes a palliative care case study focusing on a patient, Michelle, suffering from breast cancer and undergoing palliative care. It identifies physical issues such as respiratory distress, fatigue, and skin integrity disruption, as well as emotional distress stemming from her inability to connect with family and contribute to household tasks. The report critiques the holistic care provided, emphasizing the importance of information disclosure and family-oriented interventions, while also acknowledging the limitations of not involving family in psychosocial interventions. The conclusion underscores the benefits and challenges of palliative care, advocating for patient-centered care plans that involve the entire family to address both physical and spiritual needs. The report references several key studies related to palliative care, emotional distress, and family involvement.

Running head: PALLIATIVE CARE
PALLIATIVE CARE
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1PALLIATIVE CARE
Introduction
A proper palliative care is not only vital for controlling the symptoms of the patient but is also
important for extending the life of the patient, but bear several psychosocial implications.
Identification of the two issues
The physical issue
The video reveals the fact that Michelle was suffering from breast cancer and have
undergone a radiation therapy and within the palliative care that issues that she faced was
respiratory distress, fatigue and burnout, pain and disruption of the skin integrity (Zaider, &
Kissane, 2009). The video reveals the fact that Micelle was having difficulty in conversing and
probably she was suffering from a respiratory problem or she was having difficulties in
breathing.
The emotional issue
The case study reveals the fact that when Michelle was under the palliative care she
suffered from extreme emotional distress she felt that she could connect no more with her
children and cannot spend enough time with them. She was depressed as the deadly disease took
a toll on her professional life as well. She was in despair as she could not contribute to the
normal tasks of the household. Certain changes occur in the body after the chemotherapy or the
radiation therapy that possess a direct psychological effects in the patient. The neurological and
the endocrine changes following a radiation therapy can pose effect on the psychosocial
wellbeing of the patient (El Nawawi, Balboni & Balboni, 2012).

2PALLIATIVE CARE
Critique of the holistic care provided to the patient
The cancer survivors are challenged with several complexities such as the dependence, coping up
with the side effects of the treatment, managing the emotional upsurges (Zebrack & Isaacson,
2012).
Palliative care in cancer patients includes nutritional support, relaxation technique, medication
and other therapies (El Nawawi, Balboni & Balboni, 2012). Information disclosure to the patient
or the family is one of the important part of the medical ethics (Monden, Gentry & Cox, 2016). It
is evident from the case study that in spite of knowing the fact that the news of cancer would
shatter the family emotionally, the doctor disclosed the information of the disease. The credit lies
in the fact how the information has been disclosed. It can be seen from the video that the doctor
made it sure to assure the patient. According to Monden, Gentry & Cox, (2016), breaking of bad
news to patients may have several complicated implications affecting the health, interpersonal
attachment between the family members.
Cancer diagnosis can have wide spread psychosocial distress in the family. One of the limitations
that could be found from this video is that, the psychosocial interventions taken for Michelle did
not involve any family oriented approaches.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that palliative care to the terminally ill patients can assist
patients to get back to their original pace of life but involves an array of complications including
physical as well as mental burden. A patient oriented care plan is not suitable to deal with the
spiritual needs of the patient, but the entire family should be involved.

3PALLIATIVE CARE
References
El Nawawi, N. M., Balboni, M. J., & Balboni, T. A. (2012). Palliative care and spiritual care: the
crucial role of spiritual care in the care of patients with advanced illness. Current opinion
in supportive and palliative care, 6(2), 269-274. doi: 10.1097/SPC.0b013e3283530d13
Krikorian, A., Limonero, J. T., & Maté, J. (2012). Suffering and distress at the end‐of‐life.
Psycho‐Oncology, 21(8), 799-808. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.2087
Monden, K. R., Gentry, L., & Cox, T. R. (2016). Delivering bad news to patients. Proceedings
(Baylor University. Medical Center), 29(1), 101–102.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4677873/
Zaider, T., & Kissane, D. (2009). The assessment and management of family distress during
palliative care. Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 3(1), 67–71.
http://doi.org/10.1097/SPC.0b013e328325a5ab
Zebrack, B., & Isaacson, S. (2012). Psychosocial care of adolescent and young adult patients
with cancer and survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 30(11), 1221-1226.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/2803/02162f767a4277b55abb286cc75aef5ea002.pdf