Educational programs for patients and persons providing palliative care as a way to improve its quality in geriatrics

The efficiency of educational programs implementation in geriatrics in managing the palliative care training was explored. The article presents the literature review devoted to the problem of performing educational programs for patients and their relatives on the palliative care management in geriatrics. Currently there is an unresolved contradiction: on the one hand - the growing number of elderly and senile patients with severe pathology, accompanied by a significant dependency on others, on the other hand - the lack of professional staff and the lack of care, family problems in the competent care management, lack of specialized training and information programs. The situation is aggravated by the lack of interagency cooperation, and the inability to realize in practice the main principle of palliative care - multidisciplinary approach. Review of the literature demonstrated that the development and implementation of educational programs in palliative care, raising awareness of patients and their families are able to solve not only medical, but also economic problems, reducing the number of hospitalizations by twice, number of ambulance calls by twice as well. Introducing the information and education programs for patients with chronic conditions significantly reduces the risk of complications and, consequently, the cost of treatment and rehabilitation. Features of palliative care programs in geriatrics is teaching not only the patients, but their relatives by specialists with medical education, as well as and training of volunteers, social service professionals by academic specialists, taking into account the clinical, psychological and social characteristics of older patients.

palliative care, geriatrics, gerontology, aging, multidisciplinary care, patient education