Lübeck palliative care unit: hope and care for cancer patients!

Lübeck palliative care unit: hope and care for cancer patients!

Frank Herbst, 57 years old, has finished his time in the palliative care ward at Sana Kliniken Lübeck after several weeks and looks back gratefully on the support he received during his stay. He was admitted to Eutin Hospital due to acute shortness of breath and received the alarming diagnosis of lung and colon cancer. He also suffered from pneumonia and transit delirium. His words of gratitude go not only to the doctors, but also to the nurses and therapists who accompanied him during such a challenging time.

The palliative care ward in Lübeck is a special place. She is the only one in Northern Germany to have been certified three times by the German Society for Palliative Medicine. Since its founding in 2010, the ward has offered a total of eleven beds in ten rooms. About a quarter of the patients die there, with the youngest patient being only 34 years old and the oldest being 101 years old. These impressive numbers show how important such facilities are to the community, especially in difficult times.

Comprehensive care and therapies

The palliative care unit is characterized by interdisciplinary collaboration between doctors, psychologists, therapists and nursing staff. The aim of palliative treatment is to relieve pain, shortness of breath and anxiety. Various treatments are offered, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as long as they improve the patient's quality of life. A special method, acupressure, was introduced to reduce the use of anti-anxiety medications. These therapies can give patients the opportunity to experience more good days - an approach that is considered crucial for quality of life, especially in lung cancer daskwort.de.

Another positive aspect of the palliative care unit is the active involvement of relatives in the care. They can stay in the patient room free of charge and thus maintain closeness to their loved ones. Pets are also allowed to come for visits provided certain conditions are met. All of this contributes to a family and supportive environment, which is a great help to many patients.

A look into the future

The chief physician of the palliative care unit, Dr. Merwe Carstens, hopes for the partial construction of the main building as part of the “Sana Lübeck 2030” project. This could not only improve the clinic's infrastructure, but also further increase the quality of care for patients. A palliative service also looks after patients in other wards of the Sana Clinic, so that comprehensive palliative care is also guaranteed there.

People like Frank Herbst are already planning their next steps. He plans to begin short-term care chemotherapy soon in hopes of beating the cancer. He receives support from psychologist Anke Junck-Dughetti, who accompanies him during medical consultations and planning his funeral service. It is an emotional but also motivating togetherness that characterizes the team at the palliative care unit in Lübeck and that helps patients to find hope even in difficult times.