Palliative elderly care in Spain

Adela Zabalegui-Yárnoz,¹ Carmen Nuin-Orrio,² Esther Cabrera-Torres,¹ Albert Gallart-Fernandez-Puebla,¹ María Dolores Bardallo-Porras,¹ Roser. Ricomà-Muntané,³ Joana Barbera-Cortada,² and Magdalena Perez-Esquiva ³

¹ International University of Catalunya, Spain

² University of Lleida, Spain

³ University Rovira i Virgili, Spain

Palliative care has the objective of reaching the best possible patient quality-of-life. Besides, the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990 defined palliative care as the holistic and active care given to patients with illnesses that do not respond to curative treatment. In our cultural environment this type of care includes not only symptoms control, but also coping with psychological, social and spiritual stressors.

Based on a survey, research data has been collected from the Arnau de Vilanova Hospital in Lleida, the Juan XXIII hospital in Tarragona and the Park Taulí Corporation in Sabadell using the following instruments: Ways of Coping Inventory-Cancer Version (MAC), to measure coping strategies, and a demographic data form.

Firstly, the organization of palliative patient care system in Spain will be presented in terms of hospital care and home care, together with the legislative support provided by the Spanish government for the care of dependent people. Secondly, coping strategies used by palliative cancer patients to deal with their diseases will be described. Emotional and problem-focused coping mechanisms for seeking and using social support, distancing, cognitive avoidance, behavioural avoidance, and focusing on the positive will be presented in terms of frequency in cancer patients under palliative care.