Dubai Health Authority takes part in palliative care workshop in Kuwait.

United Arab Emirates, Dubai, April 23, 2014: Dr Wafa Ayesh, Director of Clinical Nutrition at the DHA recently took part in the Palliative Care Conference that was held in Kuwait to discuss the importance of nutrition for critically ill patients as well as patients that are nearing the end of life.

Palliative care (also called palliative medicine) is an area of healthcare that focuses on relieving and preventing the suffering of patients. Palliative care is appropriate for patients in all disease stages, including those undergoing treatment for curable illnesses and those living with chronic diseases, as well as patients who are nearing the end of life.

Dr Ayesh held a four hour workshop on the role of nutrition for such patients to help overcome problems such as loss of appetite, loss of body weight, muscles etc.  “Nutrition in palliative care is essential to help the patient to the maximum extent. It is important to address issues of food and feeding at this time to assist in the management of troublesome symptoms as well as to enhance the remaining life, in cases where there is no further cure or treatment possible. Palliative care is neede for cancer patients as well as those suffering from serious chronic illnesses such as advanced cardiac failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and dementia. Cancer and its treatments put a major strain on the physical and psychological reserves of a person and at the end of life problems with appetite and the ability to eat and drink compound this problem. It is the aim of nutritionists to help minimize food-related discomfort and maximize food enjoyment. Identification of any nutritional problems can help deploy strategies which can help reduce further suffering as well as address issues such as weight loss, muscle loss in such patients.”

Ayesh also discussed the role of multivitamins especially vitamin A, C and Zinc for cancer patients.

She emphasized on the role of nutrition to help patients suffering from various diseases and highlighted that nutrition plays a vital role in all stages of the disease and that if a disease is detected at an early stage, nutrition can help in better patient outcomes.