Palliative care practices in a rural community : cultural context and the role of community health worker

Article indépendant

CAMPBELL, Cathy | RAMAKUELA, Jeanette | DENNIS, Daija | SOBA, Kathy

In many communities in South Africa, no palliative care (PC) services exist. One strategy for increasing access to PC services is to integrate Community Health Workers (CHWS) into PC practice. The purpose of the study was to describe the palliative care practices of CHWS. A qualitative, explorative descriptive design guided the study. Thirty-four people participated in the study. Mean age of the participants was 53.7 years old, 98% were female, and 100% were affiliated with with non-governmental organizations. The mean numbers of years in practice was 10.2 and 36.5 for the CHWS and professional nurses respectively. After analysis of the data three major themes emerged: the influence of the Vha-venda cultural context, HBC palliative care practices, and the lack of palliative care resources & supplies. Despite a lack of resources, CHWS play an important role in PC by providing physical comfort, providing spiritual comfort, educating patient-family, and supporting medication management.

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/783126

Voir la revue «Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, 32»

Autres numéros de la revue «Journal of health care for the poor and underserved»

• Description
• Sujet/Public
• Outil
• Outil d'anticipation
• Gestion