Palliative care is a medical field that has existed in Ukraine since the late 90s. In our region, the first hospice was opened twenty-five years ago. This was the second institution of this type in our country. Palliative care is a separate layer of general medicine. Its main function is to create the most comfortable conditions for the patient in order to alleviate the patient's suffering. The essence of treatment is to eliminate the pain syndrome. The complex of assistance includes both psychological, spiritual, social aspects, and interaction with the patient's family.
Four years ago, in 2019, the need for palliative care in the Ivano-Frankivsk region was met only by 15 percent, because there were only a few medical institutions that could provide such services. In addition to the Regional Hospice, in Frankovsk there was a separate hospital in Lanchin and a department in Yablonev. Today, the indicator has increased to 35 percent. The main reason is the medical reform, according to which the financing of a medical institution depends on the packages of services that it can provide. So, now there are palliative care departments in many hospitals in the region, although not all of them function fully. In some cases, a medical facility may allocate only a few beds.
Our center always welcomes volunteers. Students of the Medical University and medical college, as well as parishioners of the Greek Catholic and evangelical churches, usually help. Anyone can become a volunteer in a hospice. To do this, you need to contact the institution and offer help. Before volunteering, you will need to complete several preparatory lessons that relate to the philosophy of Palliative Medicine and the basics of communication with patients. You don't need to have a medical education, and there is a job for everyone – it can be talking to the patient, reading for him, or working in the kitchen or in the garden. For the staff of the hospice, trips to the theater and trips to nature are organized. Psychological support in such work is very important, because in palliative care, saying goodbye to a person who is leaving is an integral part.
The support of government agencies is important for Improving Palliative Medicine in Ukraine . In particular, we are talking about understanding the importance of this area and the opportunity for doctors to organize their work in accordance with WHO recommendations. It is also necessary to communicate with charitable foundations and businesses and, just as importantly, convey the importance of palliative care to the community, talk about it and its needs.
