Palliative Care
Palliative care is the art of alleviating suffering. It is a field of medicine that is focused on reducing suffering and improving quality of life throughout the journey of living with serious illness. It is appropriate at any point of illness and at any stage.
What are the kind of things palliative care can help with?
Decreased quality of life from symptoms from disease or its treatment -
Managing and optimizing side effects from steroids, medications, treatment, surgery, radiation
Decision making -
Is this trial right for me? Should I try a different treatment? When is it time to stop?
Coordinating care and navigating the healthcare system -
How do I get all my doctors to communicate? How do I reconcile all the opinions and recommendations? Where does alternative medicine fit in?
Disease Understanding -
Can you help me understand my disease? Why am I having these symptoms? What is happening to my body?
Future Planning -
How do I make sure my wishes are respected? What is a living will? My team asked me to make sure I have an advance care directive - what is that? What is my prognosis and what can I expect? How do I cope with uncertainty?
End of Life -
What can I and my loved ones expect? What is hospice and is it right for me? What will this phase look like?