palliative care

What is Palliative Care?

“Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual”   (World Health Organisation, 2000)

Palliative care aims to:

• Provide relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
• Affirm life and regard dying as a normal process
• Neither to hasten or postpone death
• Combine the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care
• Offer a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death
• Offer a support system to help families/ carers cope during their relative/ friend's illness and in their own bereavement
• Use a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counselling
• Be applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life

Who provides palliative care?

Within palliative care, there is a difference between 'general' and 'specialist' palliative care:

• 'General' palliative care is provided by health professionals such as GPs, district nurses, hospital doctors and nurses, nursing homes, and allied health professionals.
• 'Specialist' palliative care is provided by hospices and their multidisciplinary teams. On the Isle of Man, this is provided by Hospice Isle of Man. This includes palliative medicine physician, specialist nurses, specialist social worker, and counsellors. Staff are specifically trained to give emotional, psychosocial and spiritual support to patients and their families both during the illness and into bereavement.

The aim is to ensure that all patients have access to palliative care in order to improve the quality of care at the end of their life, thus enabling them to die in the place of their choice, in comfort and with dignity. 

Hospice Isle of Man and the Isle of Man Department of Health & Social Security (DHSS) work in partnership to ensure that patients receive palliative care in hospice, hospitals, community or nursing homes.

This is achieved by working together, sharing care, giving specialist advice and support, sharing education and introducing research-based 'best practice', such as the implementation of the Liverpool Care Pathway within the hospitals on the Isle of Man, the community and nursing homes.

The Liverpool Care Pathway is a tool that ensures all patients receive the optimum level of care at the end of their life. This model of care has been introduced by Hospice Isle of Man Palliative Care Specialist Nurses and is now used by all healthcare professionals.

For further information on how you, or those close to you, may benefit from palliative care interventions, please contact Hospice Isle of Man Palliative Care Specialist Nurses on telephone 01624 647474.

We also have a section on this website 'when cancer cannot be cured...'. For more information, please click here.

If you need more information or advice in the meantime, you may find these suggestions helpful...

Books and booklets

Coping with advanced cancer
Cancerbackup booklet. This is for people who have been told that their cancer has spread or come back. It covers emotional issues, coping with day-to-day life and putting your affairs in order. This information is also available in a booklet (free to patients) direct from Cancerbackup or from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre.

Caring for someone with advanced cancer
Cancerbackup booklet. Gives advice on what to do after the cancer patient leaves hospital, how to get practical help, advice about money, everyday feelings, and coping with death. This information is also available in a booklet (free to patients) direct from Cancerbackup or from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre.

Dying with cancer
Cancerbackup booklet. Sections include coping with the news, choosing where to die, symptom control, putting your affairs in order, and coping with grief. This information is also available in a booklet (free to patients) direct from Cancerbackup or from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre.

Practical help in advanced cancer (Palliative care in advanced cancer)
Macmillan Cancer Support booklet. Discusses common concerns and provides information about practical tips about sleeping, caring for someone at home, and preparations for the future. This information is also available in a booklet (free to patients) direct from Macmillan Cancer Support or from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre. 

Emotional support in advanced cancer (Palliative care in advanced cancer)
Macmillan Cancer Support booklet. Discusses the emotional effects of advanced cancer. This information is also available in a booklet (free to patients) direct from Macmillan Cancer Support or from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre. 

When someone with cancer is dying (Palliative care in advanced cancer)
Macmillan Cancer Support booklet. Discusses the topics associated with preparing for the end of life, from a patient and carer perspective. This information is also available in a booklet (free to patients) direct from Macmillan Cancer Support or from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre. 

All the above literature is available from the Macmillan Cancer Information Centre at Noble's Hospital. We also have some materials about talking to children about advanced cancer or bereavement.

Web sites

Hospice Isle of Man
For more information on the Hospice services available on the Isle of Man.

The Hospice Information Service
On-line database of hospice and palliative care services in the UK and worldwide. The site also explains how patients are referred to them. There are also useful addresses on subjects such as bereavement, cancer organisations, funerals, carers etc.

Association of Children’s Hospices
Information about the services provided by children’s hospices. Includes a list of UK hospices with addresses.