INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL REHABLITATION AND PALLIATIVE MEDICINE.2018.1(7):18-23; doi 10.15574/IJRPM.2018.7.18

Soroka O. Y., Parashchuk O. R.
Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ukraine

The aim of this article is searching, creating and improving modern methods of providing the necessary psychological and legal support to palliative patients and their family members. Currently, the legal and psychological support of persons who need palliative care is usually carried out by civil society organizations that target their activities to legal protection of palliative patients by helping patients and their families receive psychological, social support and, most importantly, access to a proper anesthetic. An important element of providing palliative care is the implementation of psycho-correction work with the palliative patient and his close people. Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation organized a series of measures for the legal and psychological support of palliative patients and their family members. Namely, there was a round table discussion on «Legal Aid to Palliative Patients», creative workshops for children – patients of the oncohematological department, meetings of family members with a psychologist and psychotherapist, and also practical manual «Palliative care: warm advisor» was made which is aimed at psychological support in order to control disappointment, depression and other mental health disorders. Conducting educational or artistic projects attracts the attention of the public and authorities to the problems of providing palliative care and promotes awareness of the society about the right to receive such assistance. This activity will provide decent and high-quality support to palliative patients and their families, and will break down existing stereotypes that «palliative care is about death», instead, it will form a new vision that «palliative care is about quality of life».
Key words: palliative patients’ rights, psychological support.

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