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. This care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.
Definition of the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC, 2019)
Palliative Care: Care the way it should be
The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life
Palliative care specialists treat people living with many disease types and chronic illnesses. Palliative care focuses on the symptoms and stress of the disease and the treatment. It treats a wide range of issues that can include pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping.
- Palliative Care and specific Illnesses – Palliative care specialists treat people living with many disease types and chronic illnesses. For a comprehensive list please visit getpalliatievcare.org. Here we show a snapshot of what you find there: cancer, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and more. Palliative care is also essential for patients with COVID-19. (Courtesy of getpalliativecare.org.)
- You can find answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions about palliative care in plain English. (Courtesy of getpalliativecare.org)
Dr Daniel Fischberg, a well known doctor from Queen’s Medical Center gives a short overview of palliative care and how it helped his patient.
What is the difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care?
Hospice is a specialized version of palliative care offered in the last six months of life. Hospice Care focuses on caring, not curing. In most cases, care is provided in the patient’s home by an interdisciplinary team but also provided in in-patient and long-term care facilities. Hospice is covered under Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans and is provided on all islands. Learn more about hospice care on our dedicated webpage.
Resources:
A Guide to Advance Care Planning: Making Life Decisions
The 16-page booklet “A Guide to Advance Care Planning: Making Life Decisions” by Kōkua Mau is designed to help you make informed advance care planning decisions for when you are seriously ill. Many of the ideas and terms explained in this booklet might be new to you but are very common in medical settings and are important for you to know.
Note: These links are being provided as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Kōkua Mau of any of the products, services or opinions of the corporation, organization or individual. Kōkua Mau bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.