Page 22 - Petelin, Ana. 2024. Ed. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | Health of the Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik prispevkov z recenzijo | Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press

Introduction
In accordance with demographic changes and the epidemiological picture
of the development and occurrence of chronic incurable diseases, the num-
ber of palliative patients has been increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to pro-
vide healthcare professionals with palliative care education. In recent years, the
challenges related to the provision of quality palliative care have been increas-
ingly recognised. Empirical evidence suggests that palliative care services are
not sufficiently available and only start in later stages of diseases (Centeno et al,
2016). More than half of the countries in the World Health Organization’s Eu-
ropean Region include palliative medicine education in the health studies cur-
ricula (de Araujo and de Araujo, 2018). In many European countries, palliative
care education is becoming a priority, especially in more developed countries
(Centeno et al., 2016). The development of palliative care is gaining momen-
tum also in the Republic of Croatia. However, regional inequality and a lack of
22 healthcare professionals in the field of palliative care are present.
Understanding the current level of students’ palliative care knowledge
zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | health of working-age and older adults
and attitudes is important for the analysis of future education (Sadhu et al.,
2010) and the introduction of regular palliative care courses for all healthcare
professionals at universities. Attitudes and knowledge of palliative care should
be at a high level in all members of the multidisciplinary team participating in
palliative care, so that awareness of the importance of palliative care is accept-
ed in society.
The role of a physiotherapist (PT) in palliative care is primarily to iden-
tify, assess and plan the treatment of the patient’s functional needs and im-
prove the patient’s quality of life (Marcant and Rapin, 1993) in cooperation with
other team members. Physiotherapy intervention for palliative patients is fo-
cused on respiratory exercises, therapeutic exercises to increase range of mo-
tion, strength, increase balance and coordination, walking exercises and other
functional activities that are necessary in activities of daily living, physiothera-
py analgesic procedures and interventions to prevent secondary complications
(Wilson et al. 2017) planned according to the patient’s current condition. Im-
proving the quality of life, functional ability and independence in activities of
daily living are an integral part of occupational therapy interventions (OTIs) in
working with palliative patients. Occupational therapy procedures assess envi-
ronmental and contextual factors (e.g. family and caregiver training, availabil-
ity of certain facilities in the vicinity, social support), as well as personal factors
(decreased endurance, increased anxiety) that limit the ability and satisfaction
when performing the desired activities and plan an intervention in coopera-
tion with the patient and their family. Occupational therapy interventions in-
clude functional assessment and defining rehabilitation goals, education about
aids and ergonomic adaptation, training of patients and families, cooperation
with team members in order to improve the patients’ quality of life (Njegovan-
Zvonarević, 2018).