Actuación de la terapia ocupacional en cuidados paliativos.

Abstract

Palliative care represents a comprehensive approach that seeks to improve the quality of lífe of people with chronic illnesses and their family members or caregivers. They focus on providing active and comprehensive careto patients whose conditions do not respond to curative treatments, with a particular emphasis on pain control and relief of suffering. This field includes a multidisciplinary team; whose professionals include occupational therapy. This study adopts a descriptive and analytical approach based on a systematic review of the available literature. A comprehensive analysis of academic articles published between 2015 and 2023, in English, Spanish and Portuguese, was conducted using health sciences meta- search engines such as Core, Google Scholar, Pubmed, Scielo, Dialnet and Science Direct. The papers were selected according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the scientific validity of each article was assessed. The review of 24 articles provides a comprehensive view of the role and contributions of occupational therapy in palliative care, highlighting the importance of meaningful activities, maintenance of occupational patterns, and empowerment of users and caregivers. The benefits of OT include improved quality of life, promotion of functionality and autonomy, and emotional and social support for both patients and their families.