What is Palliative Care?
“Living as well as you can for as long as you can” Dr. Steve Pantilat
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
- Palliative care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support.
- Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis.
- This care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.
Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC, 2019)
Palliative Care is sometimes referred to as Supportive or Concurrent Care, and provides strong support for individuals and their loved ones with a serious illness or condition, or have complex health issues. It is not the same as hospice care, and individuals using this benefit can continue to receive curative treatments as desired. Comfort-directed services are focused to help people manage the symptoms and stresses of serious illness. Contact your health plan for further details on this beneficial service.
This video animation compares palliative care to the foundation of a bridge. While illness may weaken the foundation, the palliative care team provides a stronger layer of support.
To learn more about palliative care through videos, articles, podcasts and real stories, go to getpalliativecare.org
- You can also access Frequently Asked Questions
- Is palliative care right for you (a simple questionnaire)
- Information for caregivers: Key Community Resources for Those with Serious Illness in Hawai‘i compiled by Kokua Mau
Palliative Care Presentation on our YouTube Channel
2021 June: Hawaii Palliative Care Virtual Summit 2021 presenting MedQUEST Proposed Palliative Care Benefit
MedQuest (Hawaii Medicaid) presented their proposed palliative care benefit, a first-of-its kind in the country at our Hawaii Palliative Care Virtual Summit in June of 2021.
A MedQUEST palliative care benefit could significantly improve how we in Hawai‘i care for some of our most complex and seriously ill family, friends, and neighbors. More information and video recording
2021 March: Innovations in Palliative Care
Our partners at Hawaii Care Choices are providing high quality palliative care in their rural community through a series of innovations in Hilo, Hawaii. Our Monthly Meeting in March 2021 is a talk-story session with Lani Weigert, Community Relations Manager and Cara Sadira, Community Liaison implementing the programs and experiencing first hand the real change happening. Watch the video Innovations in Palliative Care on our YouTube channel.
Mapping Palliative Care in Hawai‘i
In order to map palliative care across Hawaii, a survey was conducted from January to July 2020 to determine the availability of in-patient, out-patient and community based options. Read the report from July 2020
2020 April 25 Hawaii State Palliative Care Summit
Our very successful 2020 Palliative Care Summit brought key stakeholders together for an overview of the current state of palliative care in Hawai‘i. More and video recording.
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