“It is our decisions and not our conditions that determine our quality of life”-John C Maxwell

Santham Palliative and Hospice care follows this principle with a humane approach. Quality of life as defined by The World Health Organization is – “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value system in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns.”

In Santham, we give utmost importance to the patient’s values and their perception towards life, which may shift as the disease progresses. We have a personalised goal for patients such as symptomatic relief, pain management, psychological, social and spiritual support. The core idea of Santham is to provide Palliative care for not only terminally ill patients but also for patients who have life-limiting conditions.

Palliative Care and Hospice care

Palliative care is a “Patient centred holistic approach” which aims to improve quality of life of patients, their families and their care givers. It starts right from the time of diagnosis of a chronic/advanced illness until end of life. Whereas Hospice care focuses on all comfort cares that palliative care provides except the curative intent as the patient is approaching End of Life. Pain management plays a vital role in palliative as well as hospice care. The objective here is not to hasten the process of death but to make it as humane as possible and offer our patients a dignified death. A specialized care is provided by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, counsellors, nutritionist and other specialist according to the need of the patient.

This year World Hospice and Palliative care day is very special for us as we celebrate our first-year anniversary of Santham Palliative and Hospice care at PSG Hospitals. In line with the theme for this year “Healing Hearts and Communities”- The doctors and staffs of PSG hospitals lit a lamp in Santham Palliative and Hospice care for the departed souls worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic and to the families and caregivers grieving the deaths of family and friends due to several conflicts and wars. Following this a support group meeting was conducted for the bereaved family members of patients of Santham Palliative and Hospice care. The event is organised together by PSG Hospitals and Coimbatore Cancer Foundation.