What is palliative care, and who can benefit from it?

The American population is getting older and sicker. More Americans are facing life-threatening illness when approaching end of life. Palliative care has grown to meet the complex needs of this population. And yet, according to a 2017 article in the journal Palliative Care, many people living with a chronic life-threatening illness either do not receive any palliative care, or receive services only in the last phase of their illness. The National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care also addressed this issue, stating that a goal of their recently updated guidelines is “to improve access to quality palliative care for all people with serious illness regardless of setting, diagnosis, prognosis, or age.” There may be many reasons why patients do not access palliative care services. But it’s likely that greater awareness of what palliative care is, and who can benefit from it, may lead to greater adoption of these services. The philosophy of palliative care Palliative care improves the quality of life, comfort, and resilience of seriously ill patients as well as their families. Seriously ill patients are those with life-threatening medical conditions, like cancer, organ failure, or dementia, that negatively impact the patient’s daily life or result in a high level of stress for the caregiver. Palliative care utilizes an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains to assess and manage the physical, psych...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Caregiving End of life Pain Management Source Type: blogs