Palliative Care
Palliative Care: Definition, Benefits, and Providing Comfort
Palliative care is a specialty of medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of serious illness. A palliative care team helps those with a complex or serious condition manage their pain and improve their quality of life. The primary goal of palliative care is to prevent and relieve the suffering of patients and their families. It’s provided at any stage of a serious, chronic, or life-limiting illness or condition. Palliative care can be used alongside curative or other types of treatment, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. Common conditions for palliative care are cancers, heart disease, kidney failure, ALS, COPD, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia. Palliative care is meant to be a supplement to, not a substitute for, treatments such as surgery or radiation.
Benefits of Palliative Care:
- Improves quality of life by addressing physical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs
- Increases comfort and relieves distress by providing comprehensive symptom management and pain relief
- Provides an extra layer of support for both patients and families as they cope with serious illness
- Guides decisions about medical care, including end-of-life planning
- Decreases the need for intrusive and costly care by preventing and managing serious or life-limiting symptoms
Palliative care is provided by teams of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and counselors. The team focuses on the physical, mental, and emotional effects of serious illness. During times of mourning, palliative care clinicians provide bereavement support.
How to Provide Comfort and Relief
The primary goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and improve quality of life. This is achieved through supportive care and symptom management.
- Provide advice on symptom control. A palliative care team can help relieve pain and physic symptoms, as well as provide emotional and spiritual support.
- Encourage self-care. This includes activities such as exercise, relaxation methods, and a balanced diet.
- Manage psychological and emotional issues. These can include depression, anxiety, and confusion.
- Provide emotional and spiritual support. This includes providing comfort and reassurance.
- Offer practical and financial assistance. This includes advice on practical matters such as how to get financial or legal aid.
Palliative care can be a great source of comfort and relief for those facing a serious illness or condition. It is important to advocate for yourself or a loved one to ensure that the best possible care is provided.