Do you or does your loved one suffer from a serious health condition? When it comes to major illnesses, it can be difficult to treat them and to live the quality of life that you deserve. That’s why more and more people have been considering palliative care as a potential care option for themselves or their loved ones. Here is some information regarding what palliative care is and what all it entails:
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a type of medical care for those who are suffering from serious or terminal illnesses. Palliative care focuses on alleviating the patients’ symptoms and helping them to live more comfortably and improving their quality of life. The goal is to improve the patient’s and family’s quality of life. Palliative care is offered by a team of specially trained doctors, nurses, and other experts who collaborate with a patient’s other clinicians to provide an additional layer of support. Palliative care is based on the patient’s needs rather than their prognosis. It can be given at any age and at any stage of a serious illness, and it can be given in conjunction with curative treatment.
What Does Palliative Care Entail?
A palliative care team is made up of a group of professionals who give medical, social, emotional, and practical assistance to patients, families, and doctors. Palliative care specialists and medical staff make up the majority of the team, which also includes social workers and other health and wellness specialists. Depending on an individual’s needs, their team may change over time. A patient’s healthcare provider may refer them to a palliative care specialist to begin palliative care. One can also seek a referral from a medical practitioner as well.
Who Is Palliative Care For?
Anyone living with a serious illness, such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions, can benefit from palliative care. Palliative care can be beneficial at any stage, but it is most effective when started soon after a person is diagnosed. Palliative care can help patients find out about their medical treatment options, in addition to helping to improve their quality of life and alleviating symptoms. Palliative care services may be beneficial to anyone who is experiencing a lot of general discomfort and incapacity late in life.
If you’re looking to learn more about in-home hospice care or palliative care, then feel free to contact Health Star Home Health, the best in-home hospice care team in Hermantown MN, today.