Contents:
- Medical Video: Chronic Disease: “We Have the Answer”
- The importance of planning a diet when doing palliative care
- Then, what kind of diet is good to do when undergoing palliative care?
- How to apply a good diet when palliative care is done?
Medical Video: Chronic Disease: “We Have the Answer”
From the data owned by WHO, it is known that there are 38 million people who die each year because of chronic diseases that are not contagious. One chronic infectious disease that kills many lives is cardiovascular disease, which attacks the heart and blood vessels. Then followed by cancer whose cases have increased by 70% over the past 2 decades, as well as diabetes and respiratory diseases.
WHO states that every person in the world has the right to get the best health care even though it has been at the end of his life. Because of the large number of people who have serious advanced disease, it is estimated that every year there are 19 million patients who need palliative care. Palliative care is not merely a matter of prescribing medicines that aim to improve the quality of life of patients.Patients should also be given nutritional support and good diet planning. Yes, adequate nutrition is still needed by the body, even though it is dying. But how important is nutritional support for patients who have advanced disease? How to apply the diet?
The importance of planning a diet when doing palliative care
Palliative care is usually given in various ways. The aim is to make the patient more comfortable and calm in dealing with the chronic illness that he experiences. In addition, palliative care is also given to improve the quality of life of patients. This treatment is carried out with various approaches, such as medical, psychological, psychosocial, and spiritual.
But, it turns out that only a few people know and realize that planning a good diet is one form of palliative care that is important to do. Because, by planning a diet of patients who experience chronic diseases, the health of the patient's body will be better and always keep the immune system strong.
In addition, patients who experience chronic stage disease also usually have considerable nutritional problems, such as loss of appetite and drastic weight loss. This condition will certainly make the patient's health deteriorate. For this reason, nutritional support and proper diet planning must be done to prevent this.
Then, what kind of diet is good to do when undergoing palliative care?
Actually this nutritional palliative care can be done by anyone, both family and medical team - if indeed the patient is still hospitalized. So, if you have a family member who has a disease that has entered the final stage, then you can provide it with healthy, nutritious, and nutritious food to make your quality of life better.
What types of food are good given when someone is undergoing palliative care? In cases like this, the most suitable diet for patients is food with high energy and protein. Here are the types of foods that must be on your diet:
- Meat, chicken, fish, nuts
- Milk and other dairy products
- Various fruits and vegetables
- Basic foods, such as rice, noodles, rice noodles, and potatoes
Avoid foods that are high in fat because they will only cause digestive disorders. In addition, choose fresh foods and do not give raw food patients, because all raw foods risk infection. Even though the patient's immune system was weak.
How to apply a good diet when palliative care is done?
It is not easy to be able to provide and ensure that patients with chronic diseases eat according to their needs. Because the condition of a weak body and low appetite can make daily nutritional intake insufficient. The following can be done when family members who have a chronic illness have difficulty eating:
- Choose drinks that also have nutrients. To maintain a normal hydration status, fluid intake must not be forgotten. However, in this case the need for fluids with nutritional needs can be combined so that patients do not feel tired because they have to 'eat continuously'. So, to outsmart it, you can juice various types of fruits and vegetables. This juice will help meet the fluid needs of nutrients.
- Dividing portions of food per day becomes smaller but often. Better, make the meal time 6-8 times per day, but in smaller portions.
- Choose foods that are easily digested and chewed, such as soup, cream soup, or jelly.
- Avoid giving food in hot conditions, you should serve food in cold conditions or equivalent to room temperature.
