Palliative care: A comprehensive approach at the San José de Cali Home for the Elderly
At Casa de San José, a project of Solidarity in Motion Colombia, the palliative care practices that are being carried out could help transform the lives of more elderly people who live in other homes, giving them dignity and quality of life in their final years . Learn about the impact of this approach led by Victoria Jaramillo.
“When you can no longer cure, you can always care for someone,” says our brother Álvaro Díaz, a specialist in the subject and member of the Palliative Care Association of Colombia. This idea resonates deeply in the work of Victoria, a psychologist who leads the palliative culture team at the Casa de San José.
A home with a focus on palliative culture
The Casa de San José is a place that welcomes homeless elderly people and provides them with a decent place to live. The main objective of the palliative culture project is to promote the quality of life of the residents until the moment of their death.
“We seek to create an internal culture that prioritizes the relief of suffering across all processes in the home and that is not limited to a health service with a palliative approach, although it includes it,” Victoria explains.
Community projection of palliative culture
Worldwide, more than 56.8 million people require palliative care each year, according to the World Atlas of Palliative Care, but only 14% of them have access to this service. In Colombia, it is estimated that 18% of the population with chronic diseases needs palliative care.
“We want this palliative culture based on compassion to be able to radiate to the community in which the home is located.” The project not only focuses on the well-being of the residents of the Casa de San José, but also seeks to be replicated in other nursing homes.
For this reason, they are beginning to work in alliance with the network of compassionate communities in Colombia to integrate health care with the social-community sphere and respond to the needs of people who are in an advanced phase of illness and/or at the end of their lives.
Key axes in the care of residents
Among the most notable activities are four fundamental pillars, according to Victoria. The first of these is staff training, a task that has gained strength during the year. During this period, two training days in palliative care have been held, aimed at both nursing assistants and caregivers.
“We have offered training to home care staff to give them tools for better care of the elderly and to promote their self-care, including topics such as general aspects of palliative care, pain management, nutrition for the elderly, emotional intelligence and emotion management,” explains Victoria.
Another key component is the coordination of health professionals, which ensures continuous and specialized assistance for the home’s residents. According to Victoria, the medical team has maintained a constant pace of care.
“On average, we are carrying out 30 psychological consultations per month and 20 consultations per month with other health professionals, including a general practitioner, palliative care physician, psychiatrist, nutritionist and physiotherapist.”
The project has also placed a strong emphasis on strengthening the volunteer program, an area that has experienced notable growth. “We are carrying out an average of 8 recreational activities per month, such as art classes, music sessions and game afternoons, and 6 spiritual activities per month, such as the Eucharist, catechism and praying the rosary,” explains Victoria.
Finally, emotional support is an essential component of the project. Through constant psychological support, the emotional well-being of residents is guaranteed, a vital aspect for their quality of life. This comprehensive approach, combining physical, emotional and spiritual health, is what distinguishes this project in its mission to offer truly holistic care to older adults.
Impact of the program on residents
Doralys Jimenez, one of the nursing assistants who cares for the elderly at the home, tells us: “This program has impacted the patients in such a way that they feel cared for and important to other people.”
“It provides relief from their pain but also provides affection, listening and understanding, respect for their decisions and freedom, spiritually the search for and consolation of God grows, self-care and self-esteem increases, they learn to take care of each other, in conclusion, this program makes their suffering more bearable,” shares Doralys.
In this context, the efforts made have had a significant impact on the quality of life of residents. “We have achieved greater relief from the physical symptoms that cause suffering in our residents, especially better pain management,” says Victoria.
“We have also improved support and autonomy in health decision-making for older adults with advanced chronic diseases, increased social ties between residents and strengthened a culture of mutual care. In addition, we have observed higher rates of emotional well-being and a decrease in rates of anxiety and depression,” she concludes.