Palliative care is about living. Nurses, social workers, study coordinators, chaplains and pharmacists are working to improve whole person and family care. Receiving palliative care helps:
Palliative care allows the patient to participate in customizing a plan for their future health. Working with a team of specialists and caretakers who understand and treat PD can help better manage a person’s symptoms, increasing their quality of life. The palliative approach creates opportunities for patients to get more out of their visits with doctors and other healthcare professionals as they are experiencing more sensitive and personalized support.
The palliative approach offers a structured pathway for healthcare providers to deliver tailored care at various stages of a patient's journey. At the first tier, emphasis is placed on screening and preventative measures as well as routine palliative care interventions, ensuring early identification and management of symptoms to enhance quality of life. As needs evolve, the second tier comes into play, activating palliative care interventions in response to emergent requirements, providing timely support and relief. Finally, the third tier focuses on end-of-life and complex palliative needs, offering specialized care and support to patients and their families during the most challenging stages of their illness
A holistic approach to care focused on improving quality of life starting at diagnosis. It supports patients and families in managing challenging symptoms, difficult emotions, spiritual wellbeing, social connections, and preparing for the future. Basic palliative care support can be provided by a wide-range of healthcare professionals while more complex and intensive support may require the input of palliative care specialists.
It's a misconception that palliative care is the same thing as hospice. Hospice is a specific type of palliative care for people nearing the end of life and provides support to help people live at home in comfort and dignity. Importantly, people can receive other forms of palliative care from the time of diagnosis onwards depending on their needs.
The palliative care approach has something to offer people at every stage of illness . This can include getting help with difficult symptoms, preparing for the future, or improving coordination of care. Getting early palliative care can be thought of as similar to getting an umbrella before you need it (and before you get wet).
Palliative care can help with many issues common in Parkinson’s disease including: 1) Treating nonmotor symptoms like pain and fatigue; 2) Providing support for family carers; 3) Attending to difficult emotions and spiritual challenges; 4) Providing guidance to prepare for the future; and 5) Coordinating care in difficult or complex situations.
Standard care for PD focuses on the motor symptoms of PD, and occasionally provides support for nonmotor symptoms. Palliative care provides complementary care to help with planning for the future, addressing nonmotor symptoms, supporting family carers, and promoting spiritual and emotional wellbeing.
No, palliative care is not exclusive to cancer patients. While it is often associated with cancer care, palliative services are beneficial for individuals dealing with a variety of serious illnesses such as heart failure, Parkinson's disease, dementia, and many others.
