LIVING LIFE WITH DIGNITY DURING A SERIOUS ILLNESS Blogger:Being Sane Takes Too Much Work

Palliative care is a specialized approach to easing suffering from a serious illness.  This care may include a need for medications, faith-based support, counseling and better communication with health care providers about treatment options. Palliative care is about relieving pain, reducing symptoms and easing stress.  According to research, symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath and depression, have eased.  It has also suggested that palliative care may even prolong life.  With this care, wasteful spending, for instance an avoidable hospital costs, can be reduced.  Palliative care does not prevent treatment to cure the underlying illness.  It is not limited to end-of-life issues.  Whatever the situation, the top priority is comfort, well-being and empowerment of the individuals.  This helps patients to be able to choose their options.  Insurances should use more appropriate use of palliative care instead of hospice.  Beneficiaries should be told this is an option.  This type of care needs to play a greater role in medical, nursing and social work education.  All hospitals and nursing homes should offer palliative care teams.  This care is about honoring people's personal wishes and values.  Palliative care is about quality of life and provide support during a serious illness- not just at the end of life.