4 Important Things You Should Know About Palliative Care

Palliative Care & Your Health

Learning that you have a serious health issue is frightening. Fortunately, there are means to treat and manage most health issues. You will likely hear your primary care physician or a specialist mention the use of palliative care. If that term is foreign to you, here are four things about this type of care you should know.

4 Important Things You Should Know About Palliative Care

#1. Begins at the Time of Diagnosis

Palliative care focuses on the treatment of your underlying health issue even as attention is made to the amount of pain you are experiencing. With this approach, the process of doing whatever is appropriate begins at once.

If you need to spend a few days in the hospital and then continue the treatment at home, that can be arranged with ease. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the planning will begin and you can look forward to a decrease in discomfort even as your condition is being actively treated.

#2. Aids in Managing Ongoing Health Issues

Some people who receive Montreal palliative care will not recover. They have health conditions that will be with them for the rest of their lives. The great thing is that those conditions can be controlled and the patient has a good chance of reaching a state in which it’s possible to enjoy a reasonable quality of life.

In the above scenario, the focus is to find the right ongoing treatment to lower pain levels and allow the patient to enjoy as much of a normal lifestyle as possible.

The right approach to home care in Montreal is not just about pain management. It’s also about making changes that lessen the impact of the chronic condition on the person’s life.

#3. Provides Support While Treating and Overcoming Illness

Anyone who has spent months recovering from a severe illness or must learn how to manage a chronic health issue knows how frustrating the situation becomes in a short amount of time.

Feeling discouraged and even developing serious emotional issues like depression or some form of anxiety disorder is not uncommon. When home care is part of the treatment process, there is someone who can help the patient remain more emotionally balanced.

The ability to talk with someone who understands what is happening and can inspire the patient to remember how much progress has already been made certainly makes a difference on days when things are not going well.

#4. Different From Hospice Care

While palliative care and hospice care both involve home treatment, it pays to remember the end goal is not the same. A person receiving hospice care has a condition that will lead to death in a relatively short period of time. In this setting, the focus is not on treating the condition. It’s on alleviating pain and allowing the person to enjoy the best quality of life possible under the circumstances.

By contrast, palliative care is about helping the patient recover to whatever degree is possible. While pain management is part of the process, the focus is on getting better and staying that way. Even with chronic pain or illness, the plan is to control it to such a degree that the patient can look forward to being around for years to come.

The Bottom Line

Don’t let the words palliative care trigger fear in your heart. It’s actually a sign that there is a way to deal with whatever is happening. Work closely with your medical team and make the most of this approach. In the months and years to come, you will be grateful for the support.