Medical Cannabis & Complex Conditions

Navigating complex conditions requires comprehensive care and innovative solutions.

Overview

Complex care, also known as long-term care or continuing care, is a form of support given to patients with significant, continuing healthcare issues. This might include certain chronic illnesses or perhaps disabilities that can arise after receiving hospital treatment. This form of specialist care is often required to help those with chronic conditions achieve a better quality of life where they can be more independent, active and feel more in control of their illness.

Conditions

Complex care can be offered to patients and individuals with a range of different conditions. Some of the most common reasons for needing it include:

  • Chronic pain
  • Anxiety, stress or depression
  • Seizures
  • Spasticity
  • PTSD

Essentially, any condition, illness, or disability where the person needs extra medical, physical, or mental support on a long-term basis can qualify someone to receive complex care.

Symptoms

Because of the range of different conditions that might require complex care, there is also a wealth of symptoms to be aware of. Depending on the condition, a person may suffer from:

  • Sleep disorders
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weakness
  • Chronic pain
  • Mobility issues
  • Cognitive difficulties
  • Dementia
Treatments

Specialist care treatment depends enormously on the individual. It can expand to include any day-to-day care tasks or specialist medical treatment required to improve quality of life for the patient. This might include, but is not limited to:

  • Enteral/PEG feeding
  • Stoma care
  • Gastrostomy feeding
  • Nasopharyngeal suctioning
  • Oral suctioning
  • Bowel management
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Tracheostomy care
  • Administering medication
  • Behaviour observations

Complex care will also often be taking place alongside other treatment from other medical staff, likely a GP or a specialist hospital doctor.

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