Self Directed Learning Package - University of Queensland

159 • Self Directed Learning Package - CareworkerSelf-directed learning package:Introductory careworker quiz answersSection 11. With a palliative approach, the focus is on managing symptoms and increasing quality-of-life rather thancuring illness.• A palliative approach aims to improve the quality-of-life for people with an eventually fatal condition andtheir families.• It does this by reducing their suffering through early identification, assessment and treatment of pain,physical, cultural, psychological, social and spiritual needs.• A palliative approach is not just for the end stages of an illness.TrueFalse2. A palliative approach discourages discussion about death and dying as it may upset the resident.• A palliative approach encourages open and early discussion about death and dying which helpsadvance care planning.3. A resident completes a written Advance Directive. This is considered a legal document.• So long as advance directives are filled out correctly including the appropriate witness’s signatures then yes,they are legal documents.• They set out a resident’s end of life care wishes or appoints another person as decision maker, usually calleda guardian or medical power of attorney.4. Shortness of breath is the same thing as dyspnoea.• Dyspnoea is an awareness of uncomfortable breathing and can also be called breathlessness or shortness of breath.5. It is a good idea to ask a resident to rate his shortness of breath by asking him to count how many breathshe takes a minute.• Because health professionals tend to under-report a patient’s breathlessness the resident should beencouraged to rate the severity themselves (if cognitively able).• This should be done using a vertical or horizontal rating scale from 0 (no shortness of breath) to 10 (severeshortness of breath).