GeneralWhat Does Palliative Care Mean?

Palliative care is a medical field that focuses on treating and relieving symptoms of serious illness. It also provides emotional, social and spiritual support to patients and their families. It is not meant to cure the condition but helps people live better. Though it focuses on managing pain and other symptoms, palliative care can be helpful at any stage of a serious illness.

Patients who receive this care often report feeling more in control of their lives and have a better quality of life. This is especially important for people nearing the end of their lives. If you or a loved one has a serious illness, it’s important to talk with a doctor about all of your treatment options. A team can also help you understand what to expect from the different types of treatments available for your condition. Palliative care has many advantages, including;

1. Improving the quality of life

This is the primary aim of this care by controlling pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, depression and other symptoms. It ensures that the patient has a better quality of life by focusing on the relief of symptoms.

2. Helps Focus Treatment

Palliative care helps to focus the treatment only on those symptoms that are important for improving the quality of life. For example, if a patient is not bothered by nausea but has severe pain, then this care will focus on pain relief.

3. Reduces Suffering

Palliative care reduces the amount of suffering a patient goes through by controlling the symptoms. This is done using a multidisciplinary approach involving different specialists like doctors, nurses, social workers, dieticians, and volunteers.

4. Can be Provided at Any Stage of a Disease

Palliative care can be provided to a patient at any stage of the disease. It is not meant only for the end stages of a disease. The treatment goal will shift from curative to palliative as the prognosis worsens and might involve increasing symptomatic relief to prolong life or avoid distressing complications.

5. Can be Provided Alongside Other Treatments

Palliative care can be provided at the same time as other treatments are being given to a patient. There is no need to stop other treatments in order to start this care. In fact, most patients receive this care along with other treatments like chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

6. Provides Emotional, Social and Spiritual support

This is done by providing education to patient’s family members, caregivers or other volunteers who are important to the patient. It helps them cope with the stress of having a serious illness in their lives by providing counseling. Patients can also receive spiritual support from professionals trained in pastoral care if they so desire.

7. Cost-effective

This care is a cost-effective way of providing treatment to a patient. It does not require expensive tests or treatments and can be done in the comfort of the patient’s home while assisting with their home care needs.

8. Improves Communication between Patient, Family and Doctors

Palliative care improves communication between the patient, family and doctors. It helps in understanding the goals of treatment and what to expect next, which helps provide better care for the patient.

9. Improves Quality of Life

It always focuses on improving the quality of life for a patient. It does not aim at curing the disease but simply tries to make sure that patients do not suffer from the symptoms of their disease.

10. Gives Patients a Sense of Control

Palliative care gives patients a sense of control over their lives. They are able to make decisions about their treatment and can communicate with the team about their needs. This helps them feel more in control and reduces anxiety and stress.

Palliative care is a specialized type of care that is given to patients who have a serious illness. It helps improve the patient’s quality of life by controlling pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms. This care can be provided to a patient at any stage of their disease and can be provided along with other treatments. It does not prevent other treatments and has been found to be cost-effective. The care improves communication between the patient, family, and doctors, which helps everyone understand what is happening to the patient. The treatment goals are made clear, which help patients feel more in control over their lives.

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