1. What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a specialised medical care provided to people with serious medical conditions to help them deal with the symptoms and stress that come with a disease. The main focus of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and their families and is carried out by a team of doctors who work with a patient's doctor to alleviate the tensions caused by the disease.
2. Who needs palliative care?
Palliative care is necessary for people with life-threatening medical conditions, to deal with the physical and mental tensions that come with said diseases. People with AIDS, cancer, ALS, congenital heart diseases, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, dementia, kidney failure, Parkinson's among others require palliative care.
3. Who is considered qualified to provide palliative care?
Palliative care is provided by specially trained medical professionals and clinics, who work to find the best and the most painless ways to help a person maintain the lifestyle while still living with a serious condition. This type of care can be provided by doctors, nurses, physical therapists, mental health professionals, pharmacists and registered dietitians among others.
4. Is there a difference between hospice and palliative care?
Yes, palliative care and hospice are different from one another. Palliative care can often begin when a person is diagnosed with a major health condition. On the other hand, hospice comes into play when all other treatments have been stopped, and there is a certain chance the patient is not likely to survive. Both these procedures, however, aim to provide comfort to the patient in question.
5. What is the duration of palliative care?
There is no set time duration for palliative care as it is primarily depends on the diagnosis of a person's medical condition. For example, advanced cancer patients who receive palliative care six months before their demise will see improvements in their symptoms, bring down unplanned hospital admissions and help them make plans for their end-of-life care.