Palliative Care News

Paediatric palliative care for WC

The Children’s Hospital Trust will be funding the Western Cape’s first dedicated hospital-based paediatric palliative care programme in the Province.

Psychotherapy aids cancer patients

Psychotherapy focused on spirituality and finding meaning may help improve quality of life and well-being in terminally ill cancer patients, suggests a new study.

Disabled elderly want dignity

A sense of dignity and a sense of control are critical to quality of life for disabled elderly people.

Grief over death of parent persists

Grief experienced by children and teens after the sudden death of a parent fades over time for most, but some have prolonged grief that can lead to depression and interfere with normal functioning, a new study finds.

Virtual reality helps the elderly

Distracting patients by immersing them in a virtual world appears to reduce pain, even in the elderly, a new study found.

Medical surrogates pay emotionally

The stress of making treatment decisions for a seriously ill loved one inflicts damaging emotional effects on at least one-third of these medical surrogates, a new study suggests.

Palliative care boosts survival

A new study suggests that starting palliative care early in the treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer can boost their quality of life and lengthen their lives.

Chronic disease ups heat stress

People over the age of 60 are the most vulnerable to heat waves, with 82% to 92% more deaths than average occurring in this age group.

'World 1st' palliative book

The world’s first book addressing the legal aspects of palliative care was launched by the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) of South Africa in Cape Town.

Video helps end-of-life care choice

Older people who see a video of a person with advanced dementia are more likely to say they would choose "comfort care" over life-extending treatment if they developed dementia.