If you’re like many, you know what having a loved one with a severe illness is like. Or maybe you’re suffering from a medical condition and need extra support while you go through the process. That’s where palliative care comes in.
Palliative care focuses on improving the quality of life of seniors suffering from a disease or serious illness. It provides comfort and relief to seniors experiencing pain, fatigue, and other symptoms.
In addition to the relief you can experience, palliative care can support your family through the emotional and spiritual challenges accompanying severe illness or disease. But the first step is to learn more about palliative care and how to get the care and support you need during this difficult time.
What is Palliative Care?
Designed to provide comfort and relief to seniors experiencing serious illness, palliative care is different from the medical treatment commonly administered to seniors dealing with the effects of disease. While medical treatment is designed to cure or manage illness, palliative care is intended to ease symptoms and provide emotional and spiritual support to seniors and their families.
Palliative care can be provided alongside medical treatment by a team of healthcare professionals and can help seniors to feel more comfortable and in control of their lives. Your palliative care team may consist of the following:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Social workers
- Chaplains
The team works together to offer a range of services, including:
- Pain management
- Emotional support
- Spiritual care
Who is Palliative Care for?
Palliative care is for seniors suffering from serious illness who need comfort and relief. It is for seniors experiencing pain and those dealing with symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
Although palliative care can be provided to seniors with various illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, and HIV, it’s not only for seniors who are at the end of their lives but also for those who are dealing with severe illnesses over a longer period.
The Benefits of Palliative Care
Palliative care provides a range of benefits to seniors dealing with serious illness. These benefits include:
1. Pain management: Palliative care provides seniors with effective pain management that takes a holistic approach. It focuses on easing pain and improving the overall quality of life rather than treating symptoms.
2. Emotional and spiritual support: Palliative care provides seniors and their families emotional and spiritual support throughout their illnesses.
3. Coordination of care: Palliative care teams work closely with other healthcare providers to coordinate care and ensure that seniors receive the best care.
4. Support for family members: Palliative care supports families struggling to cope with their loved one’s illness. It can help alleviate caregiving’s emotional burden and provide families with the necessary support.
5. Improved quality of life: Palliative care aims to improve seniors’ quality of life by providing comfort, relief, and emotional support, which can lead to an overall improvement in seniors’ health and well-being.
How to Access Palliative Care
Palliative care is available to seniors through a range of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice facilities. It is also available to seniors who are being cared for at home.
To access palliative care, you should talk to your healthcare providers about your needs and concerns so they can help connect you with palliative care teams that provide the support you and your family need. For more information or to learn how Companion Healthcare can help provide the support you need, call 405-293-9000. We’re happy to help!
