Barcelona City Council | Capital humà

Specialist in psychosocial hospital patient care

The end-of-life caregiver carries out care-giving and psycho-social accompaniment work with patients who resides in a health centre and either express pathologies typical of the final stages of a terminal illness or find themselves in long-term inpatient care; s/he likewise provides psycho-social care and assistance to persons close to the patient . To carry out this occupation, s/he must coordinate with other professionals involved in caring for the patient and offer them support to ensure the maintenance of a psycholgically favourable atmosphere across the entire end-of-life care-giving process.

• Provide psychosocial care, psychological support, rapprochement and a comprehensive treatment to the terminally ill or those in long-term inpatient care.
  Draw up an integrative pychosocial treatment template for the terminally ill or patients in long-term inpatient care, in line with the protocols and guidelines of the health centre in which the services are provided.
  Establish behavioural guidelines and directives for the other professionals involved in caring for the patient, in order to ensure that the pychosocial intervention model is followed and promote a positive environment within the frame of the interactions between the healthcare staff and the patient.
  Establish systems and mechanisms to manage pain and any other physical symptoms likely to impact the psychological state and mood of the patient.
• Share any knowledge and information likely to help improve the quality of the care given to the terminally ill.
  Diagnose and identify the constitutive elements of the character and personality of patients in order to gauge their pain threshold and acceptance of their own situation.
  Keep patients informed of the progress of their physical condition and any changes they might experience with regard to their psychological state and mood, compared with their last diagnosis, the aim being to achieve a synergistic balance between the two states.
  Tell relatives and persons close to the patient about his/her condition and provide behavioural guidelines and directives to promote a psychologically positive environment with the persons who interact with him/her.
• Identify and address the different needs of the patient which may help handle the relationship between the patient and his/her relatives and entourage in the end-of-life accompaniment process.
  Identify and collect the patient's living will.
  Anticipate 'burnout' (stress syndrome) and provide advice regarding any possible emotional control in patients, their entourage and the healthcare staff.
  Provide guidance and advice in the end-of-life decision-making process, either with the patients or their friends and relatives.
  Report and announce the death of the patient.
  Lend emotional support during the grieving process: handling denial, anger, sadness and anxiety.
  Give spiritual support to relatives of the patient or those close to him/her, depending on their values or philosophy and related mourning rituals.
• Establish own 'burnout' or emotional stress prevention technqiues:
  Practice relaxation techniques.
  Exercise, in a practical manner, preventive socio-emotional distancing strategies in dealings with the patients.

Regulated training and graduates

• Grau: Infermeria
• Grau: Fisioteràpia
• Grau: Psicologia
• Grau: Teràpia ocupacional
• Grau: Treball social
• Grau: Educació social

Complementary training

Self-control: Level 3

Analytical thought: Level 2

Empathy: Level 4

Communication: Level 2

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Customer orientation: Level 2

Conceptual thought: Level 1

Healthcare

Working to maintain and improve health, as well as physical and mental well-being, is the primary interest of people who are involved in the field of healthcare. Some of the activities in this field include making diagnoses, prescribing treatments and monitoring illnesses and injuries. These activities also include the application of therapeutic treatments (traditional or alternative) with a view to facilitating the physical recovery of those being treated. To carry out these activities, one must have in-depth knowledge of the human body and medicine, in its various specialisations.

Social community worker

Individuals related to the social/community field have an interest in working to improve people's social well-being and quality of life, as well as enhance their integration into their social, family and/or work environment. The professional activities that are common in this field include providing special support and aid to people at risk of social exclusion, designing programmes and implementing resources for the social and cultural stimulation of an area, and acting as mediators for conflict resolution in family, social or interpersonal environments. These activities involve constant interaction with people in order to improve their psychological and social well-being.

Carer of Alzheimer Patients

Behavioural therapist

Home telecare giver

Osteopath

Acupuncturist

• Work hours

  Full-time working day, usually subject to shift rotas when working in a healthcare environment.

• Salary

  Depending on professional qualifications, this ranges between 21,000 and 36,000 Euros gross per annum.