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WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?
Palliative care, a medical specialty, aims to maximize a
person’s quality of life by “anticipating, preventing and treating
suffering” and providing comfort. Focusing on the management
of symptoms – whether those symptoms are from an illness or
Consider Palliative Care
&
Hospice Care
When should PALLIATIVE CARE
be considered?
Palliative care should be considered
anytime patients are going through a
major medical procedure or treatment,
or are dealing with the symptoms of a
chronic illness, where they experience
pain or discomfort or where their daily
functioning is affected. Many hospitals
have a palliative care team. Many
geriatricians - doctors trained to work
with older adults - also have training in
palliative care.
Palliative care should always be
considered when illness or disability
becomes life-limiting:
• Ask a doctor “would you be surprised if
this patient died in the next 12 months?”
If the doctor says “no,” consider a palliative
care consult.
• If someone is diagnosed with a terminal
disease - consider a palliative care consult
to review all of the options for treatment and
comfort.
• Consider a palliative care consult
if someone has had multiple
hospitalizations in the last year without
improvement of his condition, without
being able to return to what he considers
a reasonable quality of life, or with
increased dependence on others for care.
Prepared by Jessica Rowe, LCSW-C, Jessica Rowe ElderCare Consulting, LLC
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H OWA R D C O U N T Y C A R E G I V E R G U I D E