Palliative Care

Conversation Matters

What is Palliative Care? Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Definition of Serious Illness - A health condition that carries a high risk of mortality AND either negatively impacts a person’s daily function or quality of life, OR excessively strains their caregivers.

Needed Everywhere:

Is appropriate at any age and stage in a serious illness, and can be provided along with curative treatment
People may need palliative care in hospitals, in the community and in nursing facilities
Care can be provided at home, inpatient facilities, clinic, community or anywhere services are available

4 C’s of Palliative Care:

Comfort
Communication/Conversation
Choices
Control

How can I benefit?

Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
Intends neither to hasten or postpone death
Offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death
Patient and family centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering

Palliative Care Can:

Improve quality of Life
Reduces pain
Make patients feel better
Decrease readmissions
Improves patient and family satisfaction
Open lines of communication

What are the treatment goals?

Medication education
Symptom management
Support and education for the patient and family
Advance Care Planning

What is Advance Care Planning?

The process of identifying and discussing future medical decisions regarding treatment options and goals you would or would not want.
Appointing a healthcare agent
Completing an advance directive