What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to medical care that focuses on optimizing quality of life and reducing suffering. Typically, it is provided for people suffering from terminal illnesses. Various definitions of palliative care are available in published literature, including the following. Here are some highlights of this type of care. These services may be covered by your health insurance. Listed below are the benefits of palliative care.
Provides symptom relief
Symptom management involves treating the symptoms of a disease or the side effects of a treatment. It may include taking medicine to reduce symptoms or using guided imagery or deep breathing exercises to relieve stress. Palliative care involves several types of support. Symptom management is just one aspect of supportive care. It's not a substitute for disease-related treatment. Patients with advanced illnesses or those who are facing end-of-life care may choose to receive symptom management services.
In addition to addressing the physical symptoms of a condition, palliative care providers help patients and their caregivers cope with the emotional stress and worries of a serious illness. Caregivers experience a high degree of stress, which can negatively impact their own health and the health of their loved ones. A palliative care team can connect patients with community resources and support groups. They can help patients communicate with family members and organize friends to take care of one another.
Supports caregivers
Palliative care helps people cope with the stress of caring for a loved one with a life-limiting illness. Nursing teams provide education for caregivers about choices regarding the death place. Nurses discuss the benefits and disadvantages of different methods of care and treatment. Some nurses even invite the patient's general practitioner to participate in these conversations. Ultimately, palliative care makes the lives of both the patient and caregivers more comfortable.
The focus on professional, clinical and regulatory issues has tended to obscure the needs of family caregivers. Palliative care is moving to earlier stages of illness and becoming standard medical care, but caregivers need to be included in policy discussions. The EAPC White Paper presents ten core competences of health care professionals in supporting caregivers. To improve care, these professionals should recognize the unique needs of family caregivers and address their needs.
Addresses spiritual needs
Holistic nursing has long been advocated. However, historically, medical care has compartmentalized spirituality into separate components and demoted its importance. Nursing practices that integrate the spiritual domain appear to be more effective in palliative care settings. Nurses in these settings strive to provide care that addresses the patient as a whole person. This article examines a few aspects of spiritual caregiving. These include: (1) what nurses do to address the needs of patients with advanced cancer and their families; and (2) how they can best incorporate spiritual care into their practice.
Increasingly, attention has been paid to the relationship between spirituality and health. Spiritual care includes both religious and existential aspects of care. Palliative care organizations endorse spirituality as a distinct domain of care. However, despite this growing recognition, few clinicians have received formal training in this field. In this article, PC and hospice clinicians share their perspectives on the topic, including practical recommendations for screening for spiritual distress and the importance of partnering with colleagues to ensure that patients receive the best care possible.
Is covered by health insurance
While Original Medicare pays for most of palliative care, Part D is not required to cover the costs. The plan may pay for some of the costs, including prescription drugs that help ease symptoms. Other benefits may include long-term care, including skilled health services and help with everyday activities. Part D is offered by private insurance companies, but some policies do not distinguish between palliative care and non-palliative care. Depending on the policy, most private health insurance companies will cover some of the cost of palliative care, including the services of registered nurses, social workers, and chaplains. In some states, however, ambulances may cost money, so it's important to check with your insurance company to ensure that it covers all costs. You may also be eligible for the Carer Payment, which provides financial assistance for people caring for a loved one who has advanced illness.
