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However, bolstered with the right support like palliative care, patients and their families can still enjoy a good quality of life.
A palliative care team can help patients:
But how do you know if palliative care is right for you and your loved one?
For this "Ask the Specialist" Q&A forum, Dr Loo Yu Xian, Head of Service & Consultant of the Department of Post-Acute and Continuing Care (PACC) at Outram Community Hospital (OCH), and Director of SingHealth Community Hospitals’ (SCH) Supportive and Palliative Care Service, will answer your questions about palliative care such as:
This Q&A forum is open from 15 Oct to 14 Nov 2022.
To post your question, please log in as a member. If you are not a member, you can register for a FREE membership here.
If you have problems posting your questions, please email your questions to marcom@healthxchange.com.sg
Kindly note: Your question will only go live / appear on this page after the doctor answers it
Question posted by Linda M
Hi Dr,
I have been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer as it has spread to my liver.
I have been informed that I will be on palliative care. So I am not sure what exactly it means.
I want to find out more and how to prepare myself for my end days. Do I need to talk to somebody or join some group?
Answered by Dr Loo Yu Xian, Head of Service & Consultant of the Department of Post-Acute and Continuing Care (PACC), Outram Community Hospital (OCH), and Director of SingHealth Community Hospitals (SCH) Supportive and Palliative Care Service
Dear Linda,
Thanks for your questions! I think they are great and would encourage you to also share with the healthcare team caring for you.
Palliative care can be described as a way to care for persons with life-threatening illnesses that aims to improve the quality of life for them and their loved ones.
Anything that is important to you at this time and in the future (e.g. being free of discomfort; being able to do what matters most to you) will therefore be something that palliative healthcare providers would like to help you achieve. This can be done through a variety of ways, e.g. medical treatments, social and financial help, or even just being there to lend a listening ear.
I think it is worth discussing with your doctors to help them understand what is important to you, and discuss whether a referral to the palliative care team can be helpful for you.
I would also like to share some helpful resources with you.
Singapore Hospice Council is our national body that advocates for palliative care and helps to share information to the public.
(1) Answers to some frequently asked questions about palliative care:
https://library.singaporehospice.org.sg/?docs=faqs-palliative-care(2) Further resources and tools that you might find helpful:
https://library.singaporehospice.org.sg/?doc_category=patients-general-public
My Legacy is a government website that contains useful information about various end of life matters.
(3) Information about how to start planning, record your healthcare preferences, and how to get palliative care:
https://mylegacy.life.gov.sg/end-of-life-planning/
(4) A place where people can login with their Singpass to plan, store and share legal, healthcare and estate matters with a trusted group of people:
https://mylegacy.life.gov.sg/vault/
Please reach out again if you have further questions!
Question posted by Wu SH
My dad had a transient stroke recently, and he has difficulty remembering his most recent activities, like losing his sense of time, feeling dizzy and losing his balance, not remembering what he ate for lunch, and forgetting his insulin injection.
How can I help him to live more comfortably? I have to manage a full-time job, what are the options if I cannot be around all the time to watch over him?
It is the beginning of my journey of being a caregiver and I am feeling lost. Any course that you could recommend me to take.
Dear Sihui,
Thank you for your questions!
Firstly, palliative care traditionally refers to a way to care for persons with life-threatening illnesses that aims to improve the quality of life for them and their loved ones.
As your dad’s stroke was transient, I am uncertain whether it qualifies as life-threatening, though I can certainly sense the distress his condition is causing both him and you. I would encourage you to alert these concerns to the doctors looking after your dad so that they are aware and can think of practical ways to manage the difficulties that your dad is experiencing.
Secondly, I would like to point you towards some resources that might be helpful for you as a caregiver.
(1) Singapore National Stroke Association (SNSA) is a national association that supports stroke survivors and caregivers. They have support group networks for both stroke survivors and caregivers that might be worth looking at for your situation:
https://snsa.org.sg/activities/stroke-support-groups-ssgs/
(2) HealthHub is a government website that lists down various community support groups. You can consider those which may be relevant to you:
https://www.healthhub.sg/a-z/support-groups-and-others/3/caregiver_support_groups
(3) Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) is a very helpful resource for caregivers that offers practical information on various aspects of caregiving:
https://www.aic.sg/caregiving
Your role as a caregiver for your dad is a very important one, so I applaud you for your efforts, but also do remember to take care of yourself in the process!
