To provide healthcare that is relevant to community needs, you need to understand the experiences, preferences and care requirements of people affected by life-limiting illness.
Module 1: Principles of palliative care will help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality care to people affected by life-limiting illness (which includes those people with a life-limiting illness, their families and carers). Through personal reflection you will also examine how your own values and beliefs about dying and death affect your responses and interactions with people affected by life-limiting illness.
Case Study: Meet William, a 60-year-old man with stage IV colorectal cancer with liver metastases. He has worsening liver function and his prognosis is poor. His care involves the GP and community team. Activities that include William’s story are listed below:
Aims and Objectives:
You’ll develop an understanding of the social and personal experiences of people with life-limiting illnesses and their families. This module will also cover the core principles of palliative care.
After completing this module you should be able to:
- Analyse the factors that influence contemporary community perceptions about dying, death and bereavement
- Recognise how your personal values and beliefs about dying and death influence your responses and interactions with people affected by life-limiting illness
- Describe the core principles of palliative care
- Explore factors which inform decisions about who would benefit from palliative care and when palliative care is needed.
For Educators:
William’s Story case scenario information, videos/audio, thinking points and workbook sections have been collated into a Padlet board for use in self-directed or group learning activities.
Access the padlet here.