Palliative Care

About Palliative Care

Palliative care is the provision of specialised medical care for people diagnosed with advanced and life-limiting diseases, such as organ failure or advanced cancer. It is meant to relief symptoms and enhance a quality of life.

Palliative care can be administered at the patient’s home, community hospitals, nursing homes, hospices or acute hospitals.

 

Palliative care is typically administered through a three-pronged approach:

  • Control – Pain and symptom control
  • Support – Emotional, spiritual, grief and bereavement support. Facilitating conversations to achieve patient care goals are also integral to the support framework
  • Training – Caregiver training

Patient Stories

Our Holistic Palliative Care Services​

At St Luke’s Hospital, patient care is holistic, coordinated and individualised. There is also continuity of care from inpatient, to outpatient and even in the community.

We have a well-trained, passionate and caring team who will journey with patients in the last stages of their lives. We care for their physical comfort as well as their psycho-emotional and spiritual needs. The team comprises:

  • Palliative Specialist
  • Generalist / Family Medicine doctors
  • Nurses
  • Physiotherapist, Occupational therapist, Speech therapist, Music therapist, Art therapist
  • Pharmacist
  • Medical Social Worker
  • Pastoral care staff

In 2017, we started a 16 beds palliative inpatient service in a designated ward.

 

Medical Care

  • Symptom management
  • Enhance quality of life

 

Nursing Care

  • Caregiver training
  • Non-pharmacological symptom management

 

Rehabilitation

  • Physiotherapy
    • Physical mobility assessment and intervention focusing on end-of-life management
    • Symptom management
    • Pain relief
    • Airway clearance
    • Caregiver training
  • Occupational Therapy
    • Energy conservation
    • Activity modification
    • Meaningful activity engagement, e.g. creation of life book with family
  • Speech Therapy
    • Swallowing and communication assessment and intervention focusing on end-of-life management inclusive of caregiver training
  • Music Therapy
  • Art Therapy
 

Dietetic Services 

  • Assess nutritional status
  • Nutritional counselling and recommendation of dietary interventions
  • Creating Legacy Book
  • Celebration of festivities and special events
  • Pastoral counselling
  • Advance Care Planning
    • The process of planning for your future health and personal care. It allows you to share personal beliefs and values towards your healthcare preferences.Our facilitators will guide you through this conversation and ultimately make your wishes known to your loved ones.
  • Grief and bereavement support
  • Memorial Service

Admissions & Appointments

Inpatient admissions: contact referral@stluke.org.sg or 6895 3290

 

Charges, Payment, Subsidies & Means Testing