By Jim Miller
Q: What can you tell me about palliative care? My husband suffers from lung disease and is receiving radiation for prostate cancer, but he is not terminally ill. I’ve heard that palliative care can help him with his pain and discomfort. What can you tell me?
A: Palliative care is a very effective service that can help patients relieve the symptoms and stress of serious illness. But unfortunately, most people don’t know about it or don’t understand how it can help them. Here’s what you should know.
Most people hear the words “palliative care” and think “hospice,” but they are different types of care. Hospice is reserved for when curative treatments have been exhausted, and patients have less than six months to live.
Palliative care, on the other hand, is a medical specialty that focuses on providing relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, and even depression. It can also help patients deal with the side effects of medical treatment.
Anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, including those with cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and more.
Palliative care is provided by a team that includes palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers, and other specialists who work with your doctor to provide extra support and care. It is appropriate at any age and stage of a serious illness and can be provided with curative treatment.
Palliative care teams are trained to help patients understand all their treatment options and their quality of life ramifications so they can make informed decisions about what’s best for them.
Often, patients assume their doctors will take care of their pain and stress, but most doctors in our specialized medical system are not well-trained in pain and symptom management. That’s why palliative care is invaluable.
Palliative care was developed in the United States in the 1990s but only became a formal medical subspecialty in 2008. Today, three-quarters of U.S. hospitals with more than 50 beds have a palliative care program, and 90 percent of hospitals with 300 beds or more offer it.
There are around 6 million people in the U.S. who need palliative care, according to the Center for Advance Palliative Care, but most patients don’t know to ask for it. If you feel a palliative care specialist could help your husband, start by talking to his doctor and requesting a referral.
If your doctor isn’t helpful, go to GetPalliativeCare.org, where you can search for a specialist in your area.
Palliative care can be provided in various places, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctor’s clinics, and your home.
You’ll also be happy to know that most private insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid, cover palliative care services.
