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About Palliative Care

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A large proportion of medical care delivered today in the United States is curative care. It's therefore true that most of us, including doctors, have a one track mind Palliative Care about medicine, and it's all dedicated to the cure. The bad thing in regards to the purely curative mindset is that individuals focus on cure and just forget about many other important needs. People facing serious and life threatening disease need a help system that will focus on the problem, not only the cure. That's the idea behind Palliative Care.

The odds are excellent that you or someone you adore will someday face a situation by which curative care is inadequate or no cure might be possible. It's important that you understand, and in fact demand this treatment option when it's needed.


Definition: Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is the medical specialty dedicated to improving the standard of living of individuals facing serious illness. Emphasis is placed on pain and symptom management, communication and coordinated care. It is suitable from the time of diagnosis and may be provided along with curative treatment. (from getPalliativeCare.org)


How is this different from hospice care? Hospice care is for people within the last months of life who've decided to prevent curative treatments. Medicare hospice benefit rules require a terminal diagnosis with less than 6 months to live. The Medicare rules also stipulate that curative measures must stop before the hospice benefit begins. Palliative care generally does not need these restrictions and will take place at once as curative treatment.


How is palliative care started or initiated? This question is in the middle of why it's so important to comprehend palliative care. In many cases it may be up to you to initiate a discussion about palliative care with the doctor. Some doctors and hospitals pro-actively discuss this choice with patients and their own families, but others do not. I have discovered that in long-term elder care facilities such as for example nursing homes, palliative care may be around, but only upon request. Therefore, you have to find out to ask.


Quality of life is the principal focus of palliative care. Curative care sometimes puts standard of living in the trunk seat. Curative care also remains the conventional End Of Life Care mode of action even if you find no chance for cure. It might be up to you to define the priorities, either on your own or perhaps a loved one. It's good to realize that you've options.

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