ALS is a progressive disease that affects the action of voluntary muscles of our body due to death of nerve cells in parts of the brain and spinal cord. This leads to eventual wasting and atrophy of all voluntary muscles, including muscles that are used for respiration. The disease in its later stages may cause variable problems with communication, increases immobility or lead to total paralysis of the patient. The most usual cause of death in ALS is related to respiratory failure.
Symptoms of ALS
- Difficulty breathing, speaking and swallowing
- Loss of function
- Inability to control body due to wasting of muscles
- Dependency on others for even the most ordinary tasks, such as bathing, dressing or eating
- Physical discomfort
- Emotional pain
- Anxiety
Palliative Care For ALS
Palliative care for ALS is specialized medical care provided by a team of physicians who are expert in palliative medicine, patient’s treating neurologists and support staff. They are well-versed with all the techniques required to navigate the complex healthcare system.
Although palliative care can be given at any age and at any stage of illness but ideally, it should be started as soon as the patient is diagnosed with ALS and be continued throughout the entire course of illness and treatment. It gives best results when given along with curative treatment.
Goals Of Palliative Care For ALS
- Manage patient symptoms
- Oversee the coordination of care
- Reduce the stress of illness and treatment
- Improve the quality of life of patient and his family
- Provide an extra layer of support
- Control anything and everything that is controllable
Advantages Of Palliative Care For ALS
- Provides first line of defense against any symptoms of pain, discomfort, depression or anxiety
- Help patient and his loved ones make both small and large decisions about treatment, insurance, hospital or home treatment and most importantly about advanced care planning
- Enhances communication between patient, family and all physicians
- Helps patient to make clear and achievable goals for treatment and care
- Improves survival by advising the use of mechanical ventilation and artificial feeding and hydration procedures
- Facilitates best possible quality of life during and after the treatment
In the journey of chronic or long standing illness, patients receive many types of treatments. Repeated hospital admissions become a routine for such advanced stage patients. Unfortunately, even with the best treatment; if illness becomes advanced, palliative care is all that is required. Chronic heart failure, chronic renal failure or chronic kidney failure, bed ridden patients due to neurological disorders, patients on ventilators or liver failure patients commonly need expert medical opinion or assistance at home. ACCN is committed to provide specialist health care at home to all advanced illness patients. Home care is best for stage 4 or last stage illness patients. Earlier patents use to search for nursing homes near me, but now ACCN is all set to provide not only nursing home care but home care products also at home and home becomes care home. The purpose of home health care or home care services is to provide comfort care to the patients. Home health care services include home nurse, junior doctor, specialist doctor and other medical procedures at home. Sometimes home health aide can also work like in home nurse. Most of the health care agencies don’t provide respite care for caregiver, but we do. ACCN provides home care nursing services and doctors for home health for assisted living in Delhi, NCR and other parts of north India. Contact us for arranging home visit or for an appointment at our office.
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Note:-This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with an Oncologist or Cancer Pain Specialist or Palliative Care Specialist to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained & qualified professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your cancer and cancer related problems.