Ethical principles of providing palliative and hospice care in Ukraine (for discussion)

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Project

Ethical principles provision of palliative and hospice care in Ukraine

The NGO "Ukrainian League for the Development of Palliative and Hospice Care", recognizing the peculiarities of the development of the state and the formation of a democratic and civil society in Ukraine, striving to implement high standards of humanism, mercy and spirituality in the process of providing palliative and hospice care to patients and their family members, offers all specialists and individuals , who are involved in the provision of palliative and hospice care in Ukraine, adhere to the following principles (norms, rules):

1. The life of a terminally ill or elderly person is as valuable and unique as the life of a healthy person, or the life of each of us. If we cannot cure the patient, this does not mean that we cannot provide him with the highest available level of quality of life, help him live and end his earthly life with dignity, without pain and suffering.
2. It is necessary to ensure the availability of a palliative patient and his family members to effective palliative and hospice care, regardless of age, place of residence, wealth, political and religious beliefs, both in a health care institution or a social protection institution, and at home.
3. The focus should always be on the patient and his family. What seems like a trifle in the life of a healthy person can be of great importance and value for a palliative patient. The patient and his relatives are a single entity. It is necessary to respect the personality, individuality, cultural and religious features and traditions of the way of life, needs and wishes of the palliative patient and his family members, which correspond to the norms of the law, to ensure their confidentiality and right to autonomy.
4. The patient has the right to receive effective pain relief and the relief of severe symptoms of diseases is the patient's right, which is ensured by the use of drugs, surgical, psychological, psychotherapeutic, non-traditional and other methods of treatment.
5. Euthanasia is unacceptable until a modern, accessible and effective system of providing palliative and hospice care is introduced in Ukraine.
6. All conditions should be created to provide for the spiritual needs of palliative patients and the elderly in accordance with their wishes and religious affiliation.
7. The right of a palliative patient or an elderly person to reliable and complete information regarding the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease, treatment, payment and informed choice should be ensured. Application or termination of any method of treatment, psychological and spiritual support, provision of social assistance is possible only with the consent of the patient.
8. The right of a palliative patient or an elderly person to prepare for a dignified end of biological life should be ensured - to choose the place of death, those who will accompany them at the end of life, to have time to say goodbye and to give instructions regarding burial.
9. The vulnerability of palliative patients and their family members should be recognized, and therefore money and valuable gifts should be refrained from receiving palliative and hospice care.
10. Palliative patients or elderly people have the right to receive medical care, psychological and spiritual support, social support and services of the highest quality, therefore specialists and persons involved in the provision of palliative and hospice care must receive appropriate training, constantly improve their professional level, apply the most modern and the most effective available methods and means of treatment, to provide assistance in accordance with the philosophy of palliative and hospice care and the Ethical principles of providing palliative and hospice care in Ukraine.
     

15.06.2016. Kharkiv