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Abstract

Background: Understanding the needs of patients and carers in different cultural contexts can give valuable insights & comparisons that can inform the planning of cancer services in each context. In developing countries, physical needs often go unmet while in developed countries nonphysical needs (psychological, social and spiritual) go unmet. Despite physical suffering many patients receive hope and comfort from their religious beliefs and church friends and are able to make sense of their lives in spiritual terms and hence cope with death. Aim: To understand the spiritual needs and care of cancer patients. Methods: A quantitative study conducted on 245 patients with terminal cancer at four public hospitals in Kenya from 4 different geographical & cultural settings and 8 faith Based community leaders from the same locations. Spirituality in terms of meaning, peace and faith as well as acceptance of illness by the patient & family were measured and analyzed by Pearson�s Correlation (r) against Quality of Life (QoL) using FACIT-Sp Tool�Quantitative. Total Physical Wellbeing was used to compare and put in context the spiritual parameters which are often covert. Results: Faith based organizations were linked to patients through self referrals and pastoral hospital & home visits. They in turn referred patients to hospitals, hospices, Chinese herbal clinics & professional counselors. Faith based community leaders recommended training and availability of information on palliative care to spiritual leaders. Conclusion: Provision of spiritual care can address many factors influencing pain that may in turn reduce the physical suffering of the patient. The pastoral carer may become aware of inadequate symptoms management & may be able to redress this situation by bringing it to the attention of the nursing or medical staff.

Biography

Email: zippy@kehpca.org