Easing the pain for patients and families when an illness has no cure
As Singapore ages and more suffer from progressive diseases, palliative care is increasingly important. There is both an art and a science to it.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Palliative care will become increasingly important as Singapore's population ages, says the writer.
PHOTO: ST FILE
James Low and Philip Yap
A boy, barely two years of age, lies sleeping in his cot with his chest heaving labouredly as he fights for his life, which hangs by a thread. His young mother keeps vigil by the cot side, grieving in anticipation of the dreaded moment when he will take his final breath. Tumultuous thoughts swirl in her head, mixed with feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt and anger.
Five blocks away in a nursing home bed lies Tan, a woman in her 80s. She has advanced dementia, which has made her totally dependent on others for all her needs. She is bedridden and has developed pressure sores, which are causing her pain when she shifts her body. She is unable to speak coherently, expressing her needs by constant calling and shouting. The staff nurse on duty that night feels pressured as she has been placed in charge of 100 other patients, most of whom are suffering from some degree of dementia.
