what is pallative care

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure. It is focused on providing relief from pain, symptoms, and stress caused by the illness, and it is meant to enhance a persons current care by focusing on quality of life for them and their family. Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis, and it is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment. Palliative care can help relieve symptoms and stress caused by serious illnesses such as cancer, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and many more. Palliative care teams focus on quality of life and treat people suffering from the symptoms and stress of serious illnesses. They also provide support to caregivers and those impacted by a loved one’s condition. Palliative care is most effective when considered early in the course of the illness, and it can reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and use of health-care services.