“Why Palliative Care Is Bad” – Let’s Set The Record Straight
Palliative medicine is a misunderstood specialty. It’s often confused with hospice care, which is a different type of health care. While palliative care can be associated with end-of-life care and cancer patients, it’s used for and benefits all types of patients.
In this article, we’ll tell the truth about palliative care. It’s important to set the record straight to help people get the care they need. Below you’ll find answers to some of the most important questions about palliative care that correct many myths and misconceptions.
For more information about care and caregiving, check out Trualta’s resources on additional related care topics. This link will tell you if you have free access.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is a specific type of medical care for people with serious illnesses. The focus of palliative care is symptom management and quality of life care. It helps relieve physical symptoms and emotional distress caused by an illness and its treatments.
The primary goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life both for the patient and their close family members and caregivers.
How Is Palliative Care Different From Hospice Care?
One of the biggest misconceptions about palliative care is that it’s only for dying patients. While many terminally ill patients can benefit from palliation, it isn’t limited to this purpose.
On the other hand, hospice care is a type of medical care for patients with a terminal illness in the last stages. These patients are dying. Their care focuses on comfort and support rather than curative treatment.
These are some important similarities between palliative care and hospice end-of-life care:
- Both are focused on comfort and support.
- Both palliation and hospice care manage symptoms, including pain management.
- Many types of insurance cover both palliative care and hospice care
- Both types of care can be provided in a facility, like a nursing home, or as in-home care.
These are important differences between palliative and hospice care:
- Palliative care is for anyone with a serious illness, while hospice care is only for terminally ill patients in the later stages.
- Palliative care patients may still receive curative treatments, while hospice patients do not.
- The duration of care varies depending on the patient, but hospice care for a dying patient continues as long as a patient qualifies. Typically, hospice patients have a life expectancy of six months or less.
Who Can Receive Palliative Care?
Misconceptions about palliative care often prevent people who can benefit from getting it. According to the World Health Organization, only 14% of people who need palliative care actually receive it.
The confusion between palliative and hospice care is one part of the problem. Palliative care is for anyone with a serious illness at any stage. This includes the early stages of a disease. It also includes people with illnesses that are treatable and curative. A patient does not have to have a terminal illness to benefit from palliative care.
These are just some examples of the illnesses people who benefit from palliative care might have:
- Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
- Cancer
- Heart failure
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
- Kidney failure
- Parkinson’s disease
Even young people can benefit from care if they’re living with serious diseases. Pediatric palliative care takes into account the special needs and concerns of these young patients.
Who Provides Palliative Care?
Palliative care is provided by a team of healthcare professionals and support staff. Palliative care teams vary but often include:
- Physicians
- Specialists
- Nurses
- Home health aides and caregivers
- Therapists
- Social workers
- Physical and occupational therapists
- Care coordinators
There should be one or two physicians or coordinators leading a palliative care team. If your loved one’s doctors have not mentioned palliative care or do not have access to a team, speak up. More hospitals and medical centers offer palliative care than in the past, but it’s not everywhere. Your loved one’s health care system might not have a dedicated team, but they can still offer this type of care.
Where Is Palliative Care Provided?
Palliative care providers go wherever the patient needs care. Like hospice care, palliative care is not a place. It’s a service and type of health care. Most patients receive palliative care at home or wherever they live. This may include in a nursing home or assisted living facility. Hospice patients can receive palliative care at home or in a residential facility.
Patients can also receive palliative care services when hospitalized. Some of the treatments or meetings may occur in a doctor’s office if the patient is able to attend appointments.
What Does Palliative Care Include?
A palliative care plan is flexible. It includes what a patient needs to live better with their illness. The care plan can change as the patient’s needs change. Treatments and other strategies are planned by the palliative care team. Patients and their loved ones and caregivers also have input.
Primary palliative care typically includes these types of support in ways that boost the patient’s quality of life:
- Symptom relief. Pain management and relief of other symptoms are essential to good palliative care. Both an illness and its treatments can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, nausea, and others. Management includes medications, physical therapy, nutrition guidance, massage, therapy, and other strategies.
- Emotional support. Being sick is detrimental to mental health. It’s common to feel depressed, anxious, and scared. Mental health care helps patients cope better. It includes therapy and other types of support.
- Spiritual support. For patients who want spiritual support, palliative teams involve chaplains, spiritual guides, or religious leaders.
- Social and family support. Palliative care teams serve as social support networks for patients. They also help bring families together for therapy, information, and decision-making.
- Education and resources. Palliative care teams provide information to empower patients and their families when dealing with illness and health care. They also advocate for patients and help coordinate advance care planning.
- Financial and legal support. Palliative care may also include resources for making financial and legal decisions. This includes making legal documents, determining how to pay for care, utilizing insurance, and making end-of-life decisions, if necessary.
What Are The Benefits Of Palliative Care?
The goal of palliative care is to improve a patient’s quality of life. This goal can be measured in several ways, and there are many more specific and proven benefits to receiving the right care.
- Reduced symptoms. Symptom management is often the center of palliative care. Being sick feels bad, and treatments can make you feel worse. Even though palliative treatments don’t address the illness itself, they help the patient feel better.
- More valuable time with loved ones. When the patient spends less time feeling bad, they can spend more valuable time with friends and family. This time becomes better quality, with less focus on pain management and other symptoms.
- Better mental health. People who receive palliative care experience less depression and other poor mental health symptoms. They report feeling more in control.
- Less hospitalization. Studies show that patients receiving palliative care are less likely to be hospitalized. They face fewer associated health risks, like infections.
- Lower care costs. Not only is palliative care not a major financial burden, it actually saves on health care costs. Patients in palliative care use health care in a more focused and productive way. They are less likely to need extra or costly care, including hospitalizations.
- Improved outcomes. Studies even show that palliative care patients have better outcomes for their primary illnesses than those who do not get palliative care. Managing symptoms and mental health helps people respond better to curative treatments. Palliative care improves survival rates in terminally ill patients.
Palliative care also benefits loved ones. Family members and caregivers also bear the burden of a loved one’s illness. When a patient receives palliative care, their loved ones report being more satisfied with their care overall. They feel more in control and better informed.
Does Insurance Cover Palliative Care?
Many insurance plans cover palliative care. If your loved one has a private insurance plan, check it to see what coverage they have. Medicare and Medicaid also cover a lot of palliative care. Medicaid programs vary by state. Check with your state’s program to see if your loved one qualifies and what it covers.
If your loved one is a veteran, they may qualify for care in the VA healthcare system. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs or your local VA hospital to learn more.
If your loved one will be paying for care out-of-pocket, talk to the hospital or medical center. They can connect you with a social worker to discuss payment options or financial advice.
How Do I Know If My Loved One Needs Palliative Care?
It’s never wrong to start thinking and talking about palliative care. You can always ask your loved one’s doctors about options. Even if your loved one just received a diagnosis, early palliative care can be beneficial.
It’s worth thinking about palliative care right away after a diagnosis. But, even if your loved one has been living with an illness for a long time, you can still think about it. They could benefit from a palliative care referral if their symptoms have gotten worse.
Another sign is that they’re not coping as well with symptoms. They may begin to have mental health symptoms or have worsening symptoms of depression or anxiety. Just remember that you don’t have to wait for advance palliative care. Any time is a good time to start talking about it.
How Do I Talk To A Loved One About Palliative Care?
Now that you know more about it, you can have a more successful conversation with your loved one about palliative care. Misconceptions can make it a little scary for some people to talk about. This is especially true if your loved one thinks it’s the same as hospice care.
Focus the conversation on what your loved one can get out of palliative care. Explain how it can help them feel better. Explain that it doesn’t mean they will lose their current doctor or be told to stop treatments.
As with any health care related conversation, be patient and compassionate. Respect your loved one’s wishes and concerns. Answer their questions as well as you can and take additional questions to an appointment with their doctor.
Palliative care is a misunderstood and underutilized type of medical care. If you’re a caregiver, talk to your care recipient and family members about palliative care. More people can benefit from this supportive type of care.
For more information about care and caregiving, check out Trualta resources on additional related topics. This link will tell you if you have free access.
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