Laikipia Palliative Care Centre started its day-care services this year with an initial attendance of 10 patients out of the possible 22 registered patients.
The centre’s patients responded to this step positively. They were pleased with the introduction of such sessions as it gives them a chance to address their issues and experiences they are going through.
Through day care services, patients are able to encourage one another and give hope to those who feel a burnout in the struggle with cancer, to push through another day.
The centre opted to start day care sessions to facilitate socialization between staff and patients as well as among patients themselves.
Through this, Laikipia Palliative Care Centre is able to give patients a sense of belonging. This will also help the unit to monitor their patient’s health closely.
Day care activities include; sharing a cup of tea with patients, a session of testimonies from patients, a session of health talks from the health care providers, a session for a word of encouragement from the caregivers and sharing the word of God.
These day care sessions shall help patients gain confidence to face their illness positively. It shall also enable them not to view cancer as a death sentence.
Patients will also have strength and hope to live longer and continue with their day-to-day activities as well as be productive to enhance the country’s economy.
Unfortunately, the centre does not have inpatient services due to limited space and funds are proving to be a challenge.
It is the vision of the centre to expand as it grows to have inpatient facilities to enable them render their much needed services easily.
The centre started in 2010 and currently has one full time nurse, who is in charge of the facility. Two volunteer nurses are working part time at the centre and one high school graduate has volunteered to work with the centre.These personnel work hand in hand to ensure they deliver adequate services needed by the patients.
The facility has served approximately 91patients since it started.
Though most have passed on, the unit still has 21 registered patients, whom the health care providers attend to.
The centre visits at least 3-4 homes in a month depending on the month’s activities and at times, they are forced to have impromptu visits as the patient’s condition may demand with information from their caregivers.
Because of the distances involved and the difficult terrain, the team uses a motorbike for short distances. For long distances, a volunteers’ four-wheel drive vehicle comes in handy. The vehicle is fully equipped with medication, including common opioid formulations and other necessities needed to deliver appropriate home based palliative care.
The centre is happy that their patients are appreciating the benefits of home based palliative care services offered.
Laikipia Palliative Care Centre team urges the world to improve quality and boost standards of palliative care services in the whole world to reach to more patients in need