Palliative Care Support is an essential textbook, for the Level 5 Palliative Care Support module (5N3769), as part of the Healthcare Support, Health Service Skills and Nursing Studies (Pre-Nursing) major awards.

It is based on the HSE Palliative Care Competence Framework (Ryan et al, 2014) and uses case studies throughout.

+Guides you through the principles of palliative care, enabling you to apply these principles to your practice and reflect on and evaluate the palliative care you provide

+Details the roles of the health care assistant (HCA) within the multidisciplinary team (MDT) in providing collaborative, quality palliative care to patients and their families

+Examines the need for holistic palliative care services across the lifespan and, in particular, for common chronic illness

+Illustrates how the HCA can promote activities of daily living as part of an agreed person-centred palliative care plan, to support life quality, self-esteem, respect, privacy and dignity

+Defines pain, and its symptoms, assessment and management, to include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological relief from pain

+Describes the common symptoms experienced by patients receiving end-of-life care and how prompt assessment and appropriate management of these can improve quality of life

+Introduces spirituality within the context of palliative care and presents practical information to provide a meaningful contribution to the welfare, values and beliefs of the patient

+Explains how effective communication between the HCA, MDT, the patient and their family is essential to the delivery of quality and compassionate palliative care

+Explores some ethical issues that may be encountered in your role of HCA

+Presents dying as a normal process and, using evidence-based theories and models, reveals the many responses to bereavement and the varying supports required to manage and cope with the bereavement process.