HC Caregiver 2016-digital.pdf

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Not all palliative care is
hospice care but all hospice
care is palliative care.
the effects of treatment for
an illness – palliative care
is a holistic perspective that
looks not just at physical
care or cure but also at
“emotional, intellectual, social and spiritual needs.”
(Source: National Hospice and Palliative Care
Organization.)
Palliative care aims to understand the wishes
of the patient and family and to incorporate those
wishes into the plan for care. The goal of palliative
care is to preserve quality of life as defined by the
patient. Palliative care is based less on the prognosis
of the illness and more on the goals of the patient,
helping patients and families know all of their options
for care and encouraging them to be actively involved
in making decisions.
Available throughout the continuum of illness,
palliative care provides comfort and reduces suffering
for those undergoing curative or life-prolonging care
– after surgery, during chemotherapy and radiation,
or in the managing of chronic conditions. It
addresses symptoms including pain, fatigue, nausea,
agitation, insomnia, and emotional distress.
Palliative care for those
with a life-limiting illness, who
are at the end of life and in the
dying process, is provided by
hospice.
Not all palliative care is hospice care but all
hospice care is palliative care.
Palliative care at the end of life is NOT giving up
or the absence of care. It is an approach to care that
accepts the reality of illness and dying, helps patients
and families accept the end of life, and offers the
patient a natural and peaceful death.
WHY CONSIDER PALLIATIVE OR
HOSPICE CARE?
For anyone dealing a chronic illness or who
is receiving treatment for a disease, comfort and
symptom management are key to physical and
emotional well-being. It is much easier to cope or
recover when pain and other discomforts are under
control. The palliative care team works to make that
possible.
There is another set of considerations for those
at the end of life. Most people want a peaceful death
and to die with dignity. 83% of people say that they
want to die at home but only 23% actually do. Many
say that they do not fear death. What they fear is the
pain and suffering of dying.
In order to have a peaceful death, to die at home,
and to die without pain and suffering we need to
change the focus of care at some point from aggressive
treatment to meaningful comfort care. Palliative care
makes this possible through hospice care.
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