Healing Halo Palliative Care

Anyone who has undergone any medical intervention, be it surgery, a broken body part, or bacterial infection, has experienced palliative care. When patients go to the doctor for a medical issue, they will receive curative treatment. For example, surgery to remove a cyst, a cast to help a broken body part heal correctly, and antibiotics are all forms of curative treatment. Typically, though, doctors also offer an additional layer of care that treats the symptoms associated with the medical condition, such as pain killers or changes in diet. These extra components are known as palliative care, and they are crucial to keeping patients comfortable and rested so that their bodies can heal. 

Many people confuse palliative and hospice care. Considering that both of them focus on the overall well being of a patient, the confusion makes sense. Hospice care is for patients who only have six months or less to live due to a terminal illness or severe condition. Curative treatment is not available in hospice because the goal is to provide comfort and dignity. On the other hand, palliative care is available for anyone who needs care beyond curative treatment. For example, cancer patients who receive chemotherapy to cure their illness may also need anti-nausea medicine or assistance completing daily tasks. Treating nausea and completing everyday tasks is considered palliative care. In other words, both palliative and hospice care work to reduce stress, emphasize the patient’s comfort, provide physical and psychological relief, and reduce the harshness of their symptoms. Yet, palliative care goes hand-in-hand with curative treatment. Moreover, while hospice care typically occurs at home, palliative care is most often provided at hospitals.

This difference stems from the fact that the medicine that patients need to cure their illness requires constant monitoring that hospice does not. Lastly, palliative care is available to patients at any stage of their illness, while hospice is strictly connected to their prognosis or how long they are expected to live. At Home Hospice and Palliative Care, we offer a wide range of palliative care solutions. Similar to our hospice care teams, the palliative care team consists of an interdisciplinary group of experts who understand the struggles of severe illnesses. In addition to medical staff, patients will also have opportunities to work with social workers and chaplains to provide holistic care throughout this challenging period. Together, the palliative care team will create a personalized care plan so that patients and their loved ones get the support they need. To find out more about how we can help, get in touch with us today.