Page 30 - 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

can be supported by an Indonesian study which found that many healthcare
professionals are not well prepared, have low levels of confidence in provid-
ing palliative care services, and have issues with the communication skills re-
quired for end-of-life discussions (Huriah et al., 2021).
Furthermore, some studies indicate that occupational therapy students
are not clear about their role and contribution to the multidisciplinary team,
palliative patients and their family members, and the community (Keesing &
Rosenwax, 2011). Lack of awareness of the role of occupational therapy in pal-
liative care is the main reason for insufficient participation in occupational
therapy interventions (Pitzen, 2009). Likewise, our study has provided simi-
lar results. The rationale may be that undergraduate occupational therapy stu-
dents have no experience working with palliative patients in practice, while
physiotherapy students encounter chronically ill patients (neurological, rheu-
matological, oncological and others) to a greater extent during their studies,
30 through clinical practice, even though they do not completely perceive them
as palliative patients.
zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | health of working-age and older adults
PT and OT students should have access to a basic level of palliative care
knowledge. Advanced training should enable mastering the skills for this type
of care, and should deepen the understanding of topics specific to this area.
The reasons for the low interest in working in the field of palliative care among
physiotherapy students can be explained by the more ubiquitous popularity of
jobs in other areas of physiotherapy (sports physiotherapy, orthopaedic phys-
iotherapy etc.), which include full recovery of patients after physiotherapy in-
terventions. In palliative care, the emphasis is on reducing the impact of the
disease and treatment (reducing symptoms), increasing mobility and function-
ality. Research highlights that the link between current, insufficient training
and the perceived readiness of physiotherapists and occupational therapists to
work in palliative care points to the need for optimization of teaching in this
unique area (De Araujo and De Araujo, 2018).
According to Centeno et al. (2014), universities should be encouraged to
adjust curricula according to demographic and social needs. In order for every
country to have professional healthcare workers in a multidisciplinary team
in palliative care, it is necessary to set the primary goal of basic and additional
training in palliative care. With such level of education, physiotherapists and
occupational therapists would respond professionally to the challenges that
they face.

Conclusions
In conclusion, we can say that the majority of physiotherapy and occupation-
al therapy students in this study possess good knowledge of palliative care as
well as positive attitudes. In spite of this, only a small number of physiotherapy
and occupational therapy students can see themselves working with palliative
patients to a greater extent. One of the factors that could contribute to a high-