Palliative care providers to be trained to increase access

CHENNAI: In an attempt to meet the growing need for specialised palliative care, Athulya Senior Care and Pallium India have joined forces to launch palliative care service in the organised senior care sector in South India.

With the aging population and the increasing prevalence of several illnesses that require palliative care, the launch of this service has been done to also improve access to Palliative Care in India as currently, less than 2 percent of the country's 1.2 billion people having access to this critical service.

Palliative care is not restricted to those at the end of life and is recommended to be initiated at the time of diagnosis. It also aims to reduce overall health-related suffering for patients and families living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. The absence of palliative care services in healthcare institutions, especially in the private sector, is a major challenge, particularly for the working families

Srinivasan G, founder - CEO of Athulya Senior Care, said, "Palliative care is expected to become a critical sector for senior care centers in India. We aim to provide the best possible care to our patients and their families, and we believe that this is just the beginning of our journey to improve senior care in the country."

Dr Sreedevi Warrier, Head of the Education and Skill building division of Pallium India talked about their goal to make Palliative Care accessible to all who need it. Pallium India will train the doctors, nursing staff and other key members at all Athulya Senior Care centres to provide Palliative Care services to senior citizens. This includes training in pain and symptom management, end-of-life care, and communication skills, among other critical areas.