Holistic care aims to take care of the whole person - not only the physical needs (i.e. pain what they are suffering from) of the patient but also their mental & emotional needs (i.e. afraid, not knowing what`s wrong), their social needs (i.e. worrying about money, bills, or how supporting family) and spiritual needs (i.e. feelings of anger or guilt).
Conventional medicine, alternative and complementary therapies can be used as options to relieve pain and other symptoms if desired. Care plan is individualized and tailor-made for the service users which support their lifestyle and culture. The individuals and their family members are consulted and their wishes respected as far as possible in the care process.
The purpose is to bring comfort, dignity and peace to the clients as well as support to their family members
1.2 Describe different approaches to alleviate pain and minimise discomfort
There are 4 types of approaches to relief pain.
1. Using drugs such as analgesics (paracetamol), opiates (morphine), anti inflammantories (ibuprofen).
2. Using physical methods like hot water bottle, massage, cooling with ice, repositioning.
3. Self-help methods such as walking around or taking other exercises, having a chat or doing something else to distract from pain.
4. Alternative therapies: aromatherapy, homeopathic medicine, reflexology, acupuncture, yoga – these therapies should be used only where care professional agrees with the beneficial effects.
1.3 Outline agreed ways of working that relate to managing pain and discomfort
Before using any of these methods to manage pain, the individual needed to be assessed, as every kind of pain relief can be harmful, care plan and policies and procedures always have to be followed and necessary precautions have to be taken.
2.1 Describe how pain and discomfort may affect an individual’s wellbeing and communication
When