Learning modules
Activity 5: Assessing people's needs
To provide health care that's relevant to community needs, it is important to understand the experiences, preferences and care requirements for people with life-limiting illnesses.
People with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses may experience a variety of needs that can vary in complexity and severity during the illness trajectory.
Common needs and preferences for people with life-limiting illnesses include:
- management of physical symptoms such as pain, weakness, fatigue and dyspnoea
- management of psychological symptoms
- need for social support
- culturally specific needs related to language problems and information disclosure preferences
- need for information about treatment, diagnosis or prognosis
- spiritual and existential concerns including hope, loss of meaning and uncertainty
- financial concerns such as loss of income and medical costs
- legal concerns such as preferences for end-of-life care and advanced care directives. [1]
A range of assessment tools are available to assist health professionals to undertake a needs assessment.
REFERENCES
1. Waller, A., Girgis, A., Currow, D., Lecathelinais, C. (2008). Development and pilot testing of the Palliative Care Needs Assessment Tool (PC-NAT). Palliative Medicine, 22(8), 956-964. Retrieved September 15, 2010, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18952754
Video
William's story
Thinking points
Thinking points
Activity 5: Assessing people's needs
- What are some of the common concerns people facing life-limiting illnesses might have?
- Refer to the palliative care needs assessment tool. Discuss with others:
a) the key needs that these guidelines will assess
b) how such guidelines can be used in practice. - What are some of the physical, psychological and social changes that could make a person with a life-limiting illness feel a loss of control?
- What are the reasons that people often fear pain and other symptoms even when effective symptom management may be available?
