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Presence of support groups make big difference in patient treatment

When her mother died from liver cancer complications in 2006, Mercy Owiti wished there could have been a more decent goodbye than one shrouded in pain.

But when her father was also diagnosed with the same illness, the script was different because she was trained in palliative care and ensured her father was comfortable.

Her siblings and other family members formed a supportive frame, making a vast difference to how the family dealt with the same diagnosis.

“My father had written a Will. He blessed us and died in comfort under our love because we all understood the progression of his disease,” Mercy says in an interview at Nyeri Hospice.

Mercy is a registered palliative care nurse. She takes care of patients with chronic conditions such as cancer, heart disease and kidney disease.

She remembers the last conversation with her father.

“I am under the rock,” she echoes his last words, adding that spiritual fulfillment is an important component of the patient in palliative care depending on their beliefs.

“My heart is at peace when I see patients dying in dignity surrounded by family members who have walked the journey with them.”

Mercy, who is studying for a degree in palliative care at Makerere University, says the common misconception that palliative care is given to the dying is one of the reasons this area of medicine is not fully accepted.

“Patients like Josephine, who has had a head tumour for the last 16 years, are a living testimony that life goes on. She even went ahead and had a baby,” says Mercy.

Mercy notes that most families turn to palliative care as a last resort when they are told by doctors that certain diseases are incurable.

She does not believe in timelines, where some health professionals set a timeline for when a patient is expected to die.

“Life does not belong to us. We are given the chance to take care of these patients by God,” says Mercy, adding that she has seen patients live longer than the predictions given.

Her colleague Esther Kahuthu says that the acceptance of palliative care will see more patients have more meaningful lives even as they deal with chronic illness.

Some of the services provided as a palliative care package include empowering patients on their legal aspects such as writing Wills, delegating their financial management and also deciding on the power of attorney.

“Legal advice is meant to reinforce decisions that the patient and family make to ensure harmony,” she said adding that a lawyer is available once a month for legal advice that the patients may have.

Mercy and Esther have also facilitated family reconciliations where families were earlier divided but in the line of providing treatment for an ailing loved one put differences aside and focus on working together.

The hospice team comprises nurses, a social worker, a doctor and other support staff who work towards ensuring that the patients receive care both at home and at the out-patient facility.

“There are no time limits on palliative care because it is intended to fill the gap for patients who need comfort at any stage of any disease, whether terminal or chronic,” concludes Mercy.

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