The Importance of Palliative and Supportive Care

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Published: Friday, 25 November 2022 11:25
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At its core, palliative care is medical care that focuses on relieving the symptoms of a serious illness. It’s not about curing the underlying condition, but rather about making the patient comfortable. Palliative and Supportive Care can be used to treat anyone with a serious illness, at any stage of their disease. And it’s not just for cancer patients; palliative care can be beneficial for people with conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few.

Palliative care is different from hospice care in that it can be provided alongside curative treatment. Hospice care, on the other hand, is typically only offered when curative treatment is no longer an option. Because of this, palliative care can be beneficial for people of all ages, whereas hospice care is typically reserved for older adults.

Supportive care is a type of palliative care that focuses on managing the side effects of cancer treatment. This can include things like pain management, nausea and vomiting control, fatigue management, and more. Supportive care can be given alongside curative treatment or as stand-alone supportive treatment.

What is Palliative and Supportive Care?

When you or a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it can be overwhelming. You may have a lot of questions about what the next steps are and what to expect. Palliative and supportive care can help. Palliative and Supportive Care is specialised medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptom and stress of a serious illness. 

It is appropriate at any stage of an illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. Supportive care is treatment to help you manage side effects from your illness or its treatment. It can also refer to the services and equipment that help you with daily activities like eating and bathing. Both palliative and supportive care aim to improve your quality of life.

How Can Palliative and Supportive Care Help?

Palliative and Supportive Care can help you in many ways. The goal of palliative care is to relieve suffering and improve your quality of life. It can do this by managing symptoms like pain, fatigue, nausea, anxiety, constipation, and more. Palliative care teams work with you to develop a plan that meets your unique needs. 

They will also coordinate with your other doctors to make sure everyone is on the same page about your care. Supportive care can help you with things like wound care, feeding tubes, oxygen therapy, pain management, and more. It can also help you cope with the psychological and social impact of your illness. 

Who Provides Palliative and Supportive Care? 

Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other specialists. This team works together to provide comprehensive care for you and your family. They will get to know you so that they can provide the best possible care for you. Supportive care is typically provided by your regular healthcare team along with other specialists as needed. 

Conclusion: 

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, palliative and supportive care can help. These types of care focus on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life. A team of specialists will work with you to develop a plan that meets your unique needs. If you would like more information about palliative or supportive care, please talk to your doctor.