Palliative Senior Care in Fredericksburg
Palliative care relieves the side effects and symptoms of an illness, but does not replace your primary care for the illness. Its goal is to make you comfortable and improve your quality of life.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) care is treatment for the physical, emotional and psychological symptoms that can occur during a serious illness. In modern palliative care, doctors and care givers focus, not on curing or extending life, but on optimizing everyday life.
For instance, palliative care focuses on minimizing the life draining symptoms of cancer—the physical pain and the nausea and fatigue often caused by cancer and treatments like chemotherapy. Having an illness like cancer can also lead to depression and anxiety. In some cases, a palliative caregiver may help seniors decide not to have chemotherapy because of all the side effects.
Palliative Care vs. Hospice
Hospice care patients have a terminal illness that they are no longer receiving curative treatment for. They typically only have months to live. Palliative care is a part of hospice treatment and it’s appropriate at any point during a serious illness. It is also called “Comfort Care”
Benefits of Palliative Care
Consider palliative care if:
You’ll usually need a palliative care referral from your doctor. Tell all your medical care providers (doctors, nurses, specialists), and your family that you want it. Describe to your doctor what quality of life means to you such as spending time with loved ones, being relatively pain-free, being treated at the place of your choice, maybe your home. Let them know all your personal, cultural and religious beliefs that could affect treatment decisions.
What Kind of Illnesses Receive Palliative Care?
Patients with progressive, incurable diseases, including but not limited to cancer, strokes, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, kidney failure, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis should receive palliative care. In addition, families of these patients also receive palliative care.
When Do I Receive Palliative Care?
From the time of diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease.
Where Do I Receive Palliative Care in Fredericksburg?
Palliative care is provided in the hospital, in long-term care facilities and at home.
What Physical Symptoms Does Palliative Care Relieve?
Palliative care relieves symptoms such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep problems, and many other symptoms and side effects of a disease and disease treatment.
To Learn more please visit the Fredericksburg Senior Center Website - Click Here
BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg provides a full continuum of home care services comprised of companionship, personal care, dementia care, transportation, medication assistance, skilled nursing and more to improve clients’ health and quality of life.
To learn more about our local team of caregivers, skilled healthcare professionals, and home health care support for Fredericksburg families and businesses - CLICK HERE
Palliative care relieves the side effects and symptoms of an illness, but does not replace your primary care for the illness. Its goal is to make you comfortable and improve your quality of life.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) care is treatment for the physical, emotional and psychological symptoms that can occur during a serious illness. In modern palliative care, doctors and care givers focus, not on curing or extending life, but on optimizing everyday life.
For instance, palliative care focuses on minimizing the life draining symptoms of cancer—the physical pain and the nausea and fatigue often caused by cancer and treatments like chemotherapy. Having an illness like cancer can also lead to depression and anxiety. In some cases, a palliative caregiver may help seniors decide not to have chemotherapy because of all the side effects.
Palliative Care vs. Hospice
Hospice care patients have a terminal illness that they are no longer receiving curative treatment for. They typically only have months to live. Palliative care is a part of hospice treatment and it’s appropriate at any point during a serious illness. It is also called “Comfort Care”
Benefits of Palliative Care
- Improves communication between the patient and health care providers
- Opens discussions about treatment options and symptom management
- Relieves pain and discomfort from symptoms such as nausea and shortness of breath
- Improves coordination of care with health care providers, the patient and family.
- Meets the emotional needs of the patient
- Provides for the spiritual needs of the patient
Consider palliative care if:
- You are suffering physical pain from a serious illness or side effects from the treatment
- If you or your loved ones are experiencing emotional or psychological pain as the result
- You need help coordinating your care
- You need help understanding your situation
You’ll usually need a palliative care referral from your doctor. Tell all your medical care providers (doctors, nurses, specialists), and your family that you want it. Describe to your doctor what quality of life means to you such as spending time with loved ones, being relatively pain-free, being treated at the place of your choice, maybe your home. Let them know all your personal, cultural and religious beliefs that could affect treatment decisions.
What Kind of Illnesses Receive Palliative Care?
Patients with progressive, incurable diseases, including but not limited to cancer, strokes, cardiac disease, respiratory disease, kidney failure, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis should receive palliative care. In addition, families of these patients also receive palliative care.
When Do I Receive Palliative Care?
From the time of diagnosis and throughout the course of the disease.
Where Do I Receive Palliative Care in Fredericksburg?
Palliative care is provided in the hospital, in long-term care facilities and at home.
What Physical Symptoms Does Palliative Care Relieve?
Palliative care relieves symptoms such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep problems, and many other symptoms and side effects of a disease and disease treatment.
To Learn more please visit the Fredericksburg Senior Center Website - Click Here
BrightStar Care of Fredericksburg provides a full continuum of home care services comprised of companionship, personal care, dementia care, transportation, medication assistance, skilled nursing and more to improve clients’ health and quality of life.
To learn more about our local team of caregivers, skilled healthcare professionals, and home health care support for Fredericksburg families and businesses - CLICK HERE