By Genevieve Napier | Manager, Programs and Projects
Edita an internist from Lithuania recently received a Traveling Scholarship to attend 15th World Congress of the European Association for Palliative Care in Madrid, Spain on May 18-20, 2017.
Edita describes her experiences with “hidden patients” and their role palliative care.
She states “Many people question me why I chose to work with palliative patients. Why such a young person is working with serious, incurable patients? I believe my choice was due to the fact that I was in the same side as the patient … Then I realized that many doctors are not ready to cooperate closely and work with the patient, with his family … when a person stands at the brink of eternity, he or she needs support, [and] compassion … Death is a unique process that causes the emotion, leaving a deep mark on the life of the loved ones. Overcoming the last phase of life can be very difficult, so the patient and his family need help ... it is very important to help the relatives cherish the lasts days as much as possible … The ones, who work in health care, frequently do not see people, who are close to the sick ones. That is why they are called, “hidden patients”. When they [the hidden patients] see people, who suffer or feel pain, sometimes they think they are useless… hidden patients encounter enormous pressure, so for this reason they also need people, who can help them…”
From the entire IAHPC team, thank you for your generosity and making the Travel Scholarship Program possible.
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