4th international conference on palliative care & Gerontology April 26, 2021. presented. “An approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering using early identification and impeccable assessment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual”. According to the WHO estimates, every year, 40 million people need palliative care. Amongst them, 78% live in low and middle-income countries. But worldwide, only 14% percent of those who need palliative care receive it (5). The need for palliative care keeps growing as modern medicine has led to increased life expectancy, resulting in a rise in the aging population and NCD incidence. Most of the governments in resource-limited settings are struggling to establish palliative care. The population pyramid of Sri Lanka clearly shows that the population is aging steadily and will reach its peak in 2041. (9) This transition will lead to an increase in the dependent population, with increased comorbidity. The environment they live in should be able to cater to their needs. It will also create many socioeconomic issues, leading to an increase in the already existing disparities within the community COVID 19 pandemic affected Sri Lanka by the beginning of 2020 creating many interferences and barriers for many developments. Similar to other activities, it also impeded the plans for the training program of the medical officers and nurses. Considering the ongoing, long-term pandemic, the team was forced to look for other alternatives.

1. Title: Challenges of practice Community Based Comprehensive Palliative
Care (CBCPC) in Sri Lanka due to Covid-19 a social work approach
Presenter:
Thahir Noorul Isra (Palliative Care Social Worker)
Assistant Lecturer, National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka

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CONSULTANTS
CONTENT
• Community Based Comprehensive Palliative Care
• Palliative Care in Sri Lanka
• Palliative Care Social Work.
• COVID -19
• Challenges of Practice (CBCPC)
• Accessibility :
• Medical support
• psychological support
• Social support
• Spiritual support
• Home Visit
2

3. FIRSTUP
CONSULTANTS
IN 2002, THE WHO HAS DEFINED PALLIATIVE
CARE AS FOLLOWS;
“An approach that improves the
quality of life of patients and their
families facing the problem
associated with life-threatening
illness, through the prevention and
relief of suffering by means of early
identification and impeccable
assessment of pain and other
problems, physical, psychosocial and
spiritual”.
3

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CONSULTANTS 4
Model of CBCPC Unit -Isra
Gathering &
initial discussion
Identify the
needs
Find the
available resources
Meetings with
various groups
Planning
TOT
Observation visit
& gathering data
Study the data &
implementation
Build the Home
Care Unit
Community Based Comprehensive Palliative Care

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CONSULTANTS
PALLIATIVE CARE IN SRI LANKA
5

6. FIRSTUP
CONSULTANTS
PALLIATIVE CARE IN SRI LANKA
6

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CONSULTANTS
PALLIATIVE CARE SOCIAL WORK
• PC social work (PCSW) has developed primarily as a
specialist health-related form of clinical social work and has
been recognized and recommended as a necessary and
appropriate part of PC. The goal of PC and social work is
one and same that to improve the overall quality of life of
those who are suffering from any kind of problems. (NASW. NASW
Standards for the Practice of Clinical Social Work. 1989. [Last accessed on 2016 Jul 01])
7

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CONSULTANTS
PALLIATIVE CARE SOCIAL WORK
8
(PCSW)
Case
work
Group
work
Community
work
Social
Action
Welfare
Social
work
Research
Social Work Methods
Palliative Care practice
Stations

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CONSULTANTS
COVID-19
9
https://hpb.health.gov.lk/covid19-dashboard/

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CONSULTANTS
NUMBEROFDISEASESTHATCANBE
IDENTIFIEDWITHPALLIATIVECARECANBE
LISTEDASFOLLOWS
(Center to Advance
Palliative Care, 2021)
10
• ALS / Motor Neuron Disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Breast cancer
• Bone marrow transplant
• Cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary
• Colon cancer
• Congestive heart failure
• COVID-19
• Dementia
• Eosinophil Associated Disease (EAD)
• Head and neck cancer
• HIV/AIDS
• Huntington Disease
• Kidney Disease
• Leukemia and Lymphoma
• Liver disease
• Lung cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Ovarian cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Sickle cell anemia
• Stroke

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Accessibility
Medical support
psychological support
Social support
Spiritual support
Home Visit
.
11
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19
(PCSW)
Case
work
Group
work
Community
Social work
Social
Action
Welfare
Social
work
Research

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Accessibility
.
12
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19
(PCSW)
Case
work
Group
work
Community
Social work

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Medical Support
OPD
IPU
Other treatment such as OT, Speech & Language
& Physio therapy
. 13
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Psychological Support
Express empathy
Level of stress
Sense of isolation
Unable to complete last wishes
Frustration about incomplete last rituals &
no proper ending / grief 14
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Social Support
Food and Accommodation
Spending quality time
Access to get other services
Digitalization
15
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Spiritual Support
.
16
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19

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CONSULTANTS
Major Challenges to Meet the Needs
Home Visit
17
CHALLENGES OF PRACTICE (CBCPC) DUE TO COVID-19
Home
Hospital
Hospice

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CONSULTANTS 18

19. THANK YOU
+94776231276
isra@nie.edu.lk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thahir-noorul-isra-51465233/?originalSubdomain=lk
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CONSULTANTS
19
Thahir Noorul Isra
Isra
Sincere Thanks to Anna Smith, Organizers
Chair: Mouhawej Marie Claire