Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
TURKISH JOURNAL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY REHABILITATION-TURK FIZYOTERAPI VE REHABILITASYON DERGISI, cilt.35, sa.1, ss.83-89, 2024 (ESCI)
Purpose: Palliative care has an important role in the late stages of diseases. Patients deal with many symptoms. Physiotherapy approaches are an essential part of palliative care in symptom control. This study was planned to investigate the level of independence of the patients, their performance status, symptoms, rehabilitation needs, and caregivers' expectations. Methods: The study was designed as cross-sectional and descriptive. Ninety individuals aged between 18 and 65 years were included. Care needs during palliative care were assessed with the Palliative Performance Scale. Independence level was assessed by the Barthel Index. The severity of the symptoms that the patients frequently experienced was investigated. Caregivers reported their primary expectations from physiotherapy. Results: The most common diagnosis was found to be cerebrovascular accidents. The mean age of the patients was 64 +/- 20 years. The mean age of the caregivers was 49 +/- 13 years. The mean the Palliative Performance Scale score was 31 +/- 17. Most of the patients were totally dependent according to the Barthel Index. Most of the patients faced symptoms, such as reduced muscle strength (94.44%), atrophy (93.33%) and swallowing problems (82.22%). Improved physical functions was the most reported expectation among caregivers. Conclusion: Over 90% of the patients were totally dependent and they had to deal with many symptoms. This result highlights the importance of physiotherapy. Caregivers expected the patient to be able to meet their own needs independently. This is very important for the caregiver, and the patient and caregiver should be in cooperation with the physiotherapist.