Palliative care is a type of care that focuses on relieving the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It is given to people who are not expected to live much longer. palliative care can be given to people with cancer or any other serious illness.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a type of medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness, such as cancer. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family.
Palliative care can be provided at any stage of a serious illness, and it can be used alongside other treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Team
Palliative care teams are made up of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and others who work together to provide palliative care. The team will get to know you and your family and will work with you to identify your goals for care. They will also help you manage your symptoms and side effects.
How is palliative care different from hospice care?
Hospice care is a type of palliative care that is provided to terminally ill patients. Hospice care focuses on providing comfort and support to the patient, rather than trying to cure the underlying illness. Hospice care is typically provided in the patient’s home, but it can also be provided in a hospice facility.
Palliative care can be provided at any stage of a serious illness, including during active treatment and after treatment has ended. Hospice care is typically only provided when the patient has been determined to be terminally ill and is expected to live for six months or less.
Goals
The goal of palliative care is to relieve the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. Palliative care can be given at any stage of a serious illness and can be given along with treatment to cure the illness.
- Improve the quality of life for both the patient and their family
- Help the patient cope with their illness
- Help the family deal with the impact of the illness
Benefits
Palliative care is an important part of cancer care. It can be given to people with any type of cancer at any stage of their illness. If you have cancer, palliative care can be a valuable addition to your treatment.
Whether you are receiving palliative care or hospice care, you can expect to receive the following benefits:
- Relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, and anxiety
- Help with practical issues such as transportation to doctor’s appointments and financial assistance
- Emotional support for you and your family
- Guidance in making decisions about your care
- Improved communication between the patient and their healthcare team
- Better coordination of care
- Increased support for the patient and their family
How do I get palliative care?
If you are interested in palliative care, talk to your doctor or another member of your healthcare team. They can help you find a palliative care team that is right for you.
You can also find palliative care teams at many hospitals and cancer centers. To find a palliative care team near you, visit the website of the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
Also Read: 3 Reasons the Healthcare Sector Needs Patient Transport Services
What should I expect from palliative care?
Palliative care teams are made up of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and others who work together to provide palliative care. The team will get to know you and your family and will work with you to identify your goals for care. They will also help you manage your symptoms and side effects.
Palliative care teams typically meet with patients and their families on a regular basis. The frequency of meetings will depend on the needs of the patient and their family.
Palliative care is provided in many different settings, such as hospitals, cancer centers, nursing homes, and patients’ homes. Palliative care can be given along with treatment to cure the underlying illness, or it can be given when treatments are no longer effective and the focus is on comfort care.
