Enhancing palliative care for non-hemorrhagic stroke patients: The power of a spiritual approach

Abstract

This study focuses on the impact of palliative care with a spiritual approach on patients suffering from non-hemorrhagic stroke. The patient selected for the study had been living with the effects of a stroke for three years, experiencing a significant decline in motivation and feelings of worthlessness. The primary objective was to assess whether integrating spiritual care into the palliative approach could improve the patient’s overall quality of life. The findings revealed that palliative care, enriched with spiritual support, effectively enhanced the patient's quality of life by rekindling their enthusiasm for coping with their condition and mitigating feelings of uselessness. The implementation of this care followed a comprehensive nursing plan, which aimed to address both physical and psychological needs. Upon evaluating the outcomes of the nursing interventions, it was observed that among the three identified diagnoses—spiritual distress, mobility disorders, and verbal communication disorders—only spiritual distress showed significant improvement and was successfully resolved. The diagnoses related to mobility and verbal communication, however, remained unresolved, indicating areas where further care and intervention are necessary. This study underscores the potential of spiritual approaches within palliative care to foster emotional and psychological healing, although it also highlights the need for continued focus on the physical rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Keywords: Stroke; nursing care; palliative care; spiritual care; supportive therapies