You probably have a lot of questions about palliative medicine.
For instance – what is palliative medicine? When is palliative medicine appropriate?
Read our palliative care questions below to learn more.
What is palliative treatment?
Palliative Medicine is a form of medical treatment that manages the pain, symptoms and side-effects of chronic illness. The improved comfort and quality of life, along with likely reductions in hospitalizations and healthcare costs, provide peace of mind.
Palliative medicine involves a range of services offered by specialists, medical doctors, trained nursing and allied health professionals (including counsellors, art therapists, physical therapists and wound care specialists). This is called a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach.
Do you have to have a terminal illness to receive care?
No, you can receive care while still pursuing a cure.
What is the goal of palliative medicine?
The goal of palliative medicine is to improve quality of life and allow our patients to meet their life goals.
When is palliative medicine appropriate?
Palliative Medicine is available at any stage of a serious illness and can be combined with aggressive treatments. The benefit is that palliative experts can work with you to manage pain, symptoms and side-effects. Palliative Medicine specialists also work in collaboration with your other doctors and together focus on treatment.
What types of illnesses is palliative care appropriate for?
- Cancer Pain and Symptom Management
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Advanced Lung Disease Care
- Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care
- CVA Stroke Care
- Anxiety and Depression Care
- Post-Acute Care
What types of symptoms is palliative medicine appropriate for?
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea/vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Delirium
- Difficulty sleeping
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Confusion
- Chemotherapy side effects
- Emotional and/or spiritual distress
Are hospice and palliative medicine the same thing? How is palliative treatment different?
This is perhaps the most common palliative medicine question. The answer is no. Unlike hospice, palliative medicine is available to you at any stage of a serious illness. You can receive palliative medicine at the same time you receive treatment meant to cure your illness. Patients on hospice care receive palliative medicine (pain and symptom management). However, hospice care focuses on a person’s last months of life.