Palliative care is all about enhancing quality of life for individuals facing serious or chronic illness, but what does that actually look like in real life? Many families are unfamiliar with how palliative care works or what kinds of support it provides. In this blog, we will walk you through a real-world example of palliative care in action, showing how this compassionate approach helps manage symptoms, ease emotional distress, and support both patients and their loved ones throughout their healthcare journey.
Palliative care is a form of medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness. It can help improve quality of life for both the patient and their family. While palliative care can be used at any stage in an illness, it is especially beneficial for those with advanced illnesses who may need help managing symptoms or making difficult treatment decisions.
Definition Of Palliative Care
Palliative care is a specialized form of medical care that focuses on providing relief from symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness. It is designed to improve quality of life for both the patient and their loved ones. Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatments or in its own right when cure isn’t possible.
The goal of palliative care is to provide physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support to patients and their families while they cope with a life-limiting illness. This type of supportive care involves helping to manage symptoms such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and more.
Palliative care aims to treat the person as a whole, rather than just focusing on their disease or condition. It’s offered alongside other treatments, like surgery or chemotherapy, and includes physical, emotional, social and spiritual support.
Benefits Of Palliative Care Services
Palliative care is an important type of healthcare that focuses on providing physical, emotional and spiritual support to those with life-limiting or terminal illnesses. By focusing on improving quality of life, palliative care helps people live as fully as possible in spite of their illness.
Physical Support
From providing pain relief, to helping with nausea and other side effects from treatments, physical palliative care can improve quality of life for patients and make managing chronic illness easier.
As with any medical field, physical palliative care requires a team approach; nurses, social workers, dieticians and other allied health professionals may be involved in providing tailored support for each individual’s needs.
Physical assistance does not stop there – many palliative care services also offer hoarding services such as equipment delivery and installation which can provide further relief from the challenges of living with a chronic condition.
Emotional Support
Patients can also benefit from being surrounded by people who are supportive and understanding of their situation.
It is important to remember that emotional support extends beyond the patient, as well. Friends and family members need to be supported as they process the emotions associated with a terminal illness and its prognosis.
With this kind of compassionate care in place, patients can take comfort knowing that they are surrounded by people who understand what they are going through and will be there every step of the way.
Social Support
Emotional support is an important part of palliative care. It involves providing comfort, reassurance, and understanding to individuals who are facing a terminal diagnosis or experiencing severe pain. While emotional support is essential in helping patients cope with their situation, it is not the only type of support that can be offered.
Social support is just as important when it comes to palliative care. Social support involves creating an environment where individuals can connect with family, friends, and other healthcare providers. This type of support can help patients stay connected to their loved ones during difficult times. Additionally, social support helps build relationships between healthcare providers and their patients.
Spiritual Support
Spiritual care providers offer help that is tailored to meet an individual’s specific needs. Depending on the situation, this might include discussing philosophical topics like life and death, providing emotional guidance and comfort, or offering spiritual advice. They may also provide resources such as books or websites for further exploration into spirituality.
By listening and responding to an individual’s beliefs and practices, these professionals can help them find strength and hope during their journey. Allowing people to have conversations about spirituality leads to deeper understanding, which can bring comfort and reassurance during difficult times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Cost Of Palliative Care?
The cost of palliative care can vary depending on the type of service provided. Inpatient care is usually more expensive than outpatient care, but in some cases, coverage for both may be available through your insurance plan.
If you don’t have insurance or if your coverage isn’t sufficient, there are other options to help cover costs, including financial assistance from the government or charitable organizations.
Who Is Eligible For Palliative Care?
Generally, anyone with a serious or life-limiting illness can receive palliative care. It’s available in many settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and patients’ own homes. It’s often provided in conjunction with other treatments that focus on curing the condition, but it can also be used as the primary treatment if there are no cures available.
Is Palliative Care Available In All States?
Is palliative care available in all states? Absolutely! It’s as ubiquitous as the stars in the night sky. Palliative care is available throughout the US, providing comfort and support to those with serious illnesses, regardless of their location. Whether you’re in sunny California or frozen Alaska, rest assured that you can access this life-saving form of treatment.
What Is The Difference Between Palliative Care And Hospice Care?
Palliative care and hospice care are often confused, but they are actually quite different. Palliative care is designed to help ease pain and provide comfort for people living with serious illnesses, while hospice care focuses on providing end-of-life support.
Both types of care involve a team of medical professionals who aim to improve quality of life by helping patients manage their symptoms, providing emotional and spiritual support, and ensuring that their wishes are honored.
Does Palliative Care Require A Referral From A Doctor?
Yes, palliative care typically requires a referral from a doctor. It’s important to note that while hospice care is a type of palliative care, they are not the same thing. Generally speaking, palliative care focuses on providing relief from symptoms and improving quality of life for people with serious illnesses. It doesn’t focus on curing the illness, and it can be provided alongside curative treatment.
In-Home Hospice and Palliative Care in Chicago, IL
At Oasis Hospice Care, we’re honored to be a trusted source of comfort, compassion, and expert care for families across Chicago, Illinois. Whether you need in-home hospice care focused on end-of-life support or palliative care to manage serious illness, our dedicated team in Glencoe, IL is here to walk with you every step of the way.
We bring peace, dignity, and personalized attention right to your doorstep, ensuring your loved one receives the care they deserve in the place they feel most at home. Call us today at 708-564-4838 to learn how we can support you and your family.
