Dispelling Common Myths About Palliative Care, Part Two
This blog on Palliative Care is a follow-on to our first blog on May 28th on common myths about Hospice Care. It’s the second on our series to provide education and enlightenment on services. In this case, those provided when receiving Hospice, Palliative, Home Health and Home Care services.
They are valuable services that intersect on some levels. Yet, their primary objectives differ regarding patients. The common thread is they all work together with a common goal of quality of life.
Hospice Care is only for patients with a diagnosis of six or fewer months to live. Palliative Care often gets confused as being the same as hospice care but it is not.
Palliative care is also known as supportive care. It offers medical and related treatment towards living as well as possible. It can bring hope, control, and a chance at a better quality of life for loved ones and their caregivers. Palliative Care can be good option when you loved one has a chronic illness. Your instincts and concern for your loved one is about quality of life. Quality of life is the primary goal of Palliative Care.
Most of the information in this blog is from our friends from Transitions LifeCare. They are a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization based in Raleigh. The organization began as Hospice of Wake County in 1979. Transitions LifeCare provides a comprehensive circle of expert care and support. This includes Hospice, Home Health, Palliative and Grief Care.
The blog below first appeared on Transitions LifeCare’ s blog “Let’s Talk Transitions.” We share it with their permission.
Palliative Care
Most common myths about palliative care:
“It’s only for people with cancer”
“It means I’m close to death”
Unlike palliative care, hospice patients have six months or fewer to live. A medical professional must certify this to be true. Care can begin at any stage of a serious illness.
Additionally, many people utilize palliative care for support and symptom management. This could be due to undergoing chemotherapy or other treatments.
Receiving early palliative care may actually help patients live longer than standard care. They also reap the benefits of a higher quality of life throughout the final course of their illness.
Palliative Care and the Caregiver
Palliative care is also known as supportive care. While many people believe it is the same as hospice care and it means end of life, it is different. Likewise, palliative care offers treatment towards living as well as possible. Altogether it can bring hope, control, and a chance at a better quality of life. For both loved one and their caregivers.
Above all, palliative care is patient/family-centered care. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious or chronic illness. It’s important to recognize the common myths about palliative care to ensure proper medical treatment for a loved one.
Healthcare professionals embrace a patient’s values, goals, and wishes considering disease management. They ease the burden from pain, anxiety, fear, and other symptoms. With this in mind, family and friends who provide care learn about the patient’s plans and wishes. They receive support for the physical and mental costs of caregiving.
In other words, benefits of such care will bring a better quality of life for patient and caregivers. They receive help with difficult medical treatments. There’s often a reduction in hospitalizations and readmission. As a result, patients often see faster recovery and longer survival rates.
Palliative care is the best option under these circumstances:
- Frequent emergency room visits as a result of a variety of ailments
- Three or more admissions to the hospital due to the same symptoms within a year
- Serious side effects from treatments such as chemotherapy
- Eating problems as a result of serious illness
- Medical professionals in palliative care communicate, show compassion, and see the “whole” person. With special attention to including the family as part of the healthcare team.
Our final thoughts and advice
On the whole, this is wonderful information from Transitions LifeCare. If your loved one is in a lot of pain or faced with painful treatments, consider Palliative Care.
In summary, every person is unique. With this in mind, it’s important to discuss your quality of life goals. This could include your family or with professionals like Transitions LifeCare.
We would like to help position the various services as far as features and costs. For this reason, we put together the educational table below. It contrasts the various service options available to you.
| Issue | Home Health | Home Care | Hospice Care | Palliative Care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD order needed? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Visit frequency | Typically 1-3 visits/ week per discipline based on patient’s needs and progress | Client decides- can be daily | Typically 1-3 visits/ week per discipline for nursing and aides, 1-3 visits/ month social work and spiritual care | Typically one visit every 2-4 weeks |
| Visit duration | Typically about 1 hour | Client decides – can be 24/7 | Typically about 1 hour | Typically about 1 hour |
| Payment | Medical Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid | Private pay, VA Aid and Assistance, Medicaid, some LTC policies and some Medicare plans |
Medical insurance, Medicare | Medical insurance, Medicare |
| Services may include | PT, OT, ST, RN, SW and CNA visits |
Personal care and companionship – includes meal prep, light housekeeping, laundry, medication reminders | RN, SW, Spiritual Care and CNA visits | NP, RN and CNA
Social Worker |
| Where services are provided | HOME HEALTH | HOME CARE | HOSPICE CARE | PALLIATIVE CARE |
| Private Home | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Independent Senior | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Community | YES | YES | YES | |
| Assisted Living Facility | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Skilled Nursing Facility | NO | YES | YES | YES |
| Hospice Facility | NO | YES | YES | NA |
We hoped this article helped dispel some of the common myths about palliative care. If you have questions or would like our help talking to a knowledgeable geriatric professional, please call us at 919-436-1871.