When diagnosed with an illness, the first question people often want to know is whether there is a cure. So when there isn’t a cure, and the illness progresses, palliative care can be a beacon of compassion and reassurance for both patients and their families.
In this month’s blog we look at the difference between palliative care and end-of-life care and how palliative care can transform the experience of illness into one marked with dignity, hope and support.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is the specialised care you receive when you are diagnosed with a life-limiting or terminal illness. As the condition progresses, and often when people choose to reduce or stop treatment, they can transition into palliative care.
Palliative care is a holistic, family-centric approach to care which ensures you have a good quality of life and may involve things like:
- Management of pain and physical symptoms
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Psychological support
- Support for your family and close friends
- Planning and understating your future medical treatment and goals for your care.
What is end-of-life care?
End-of-life care is a form of palliative care, and people transition to this model of support when they are close to the end of their life.
There are no specific rules or guidelines about when a person can begin their end-of-life care, and it is often guided by the patient, their treating doctors, and their family.
End-of-life care brings together a range of health professionals to make the patient as comfortable as possible. This can be in a variety of locations, including at home, in hospital, at a hospice, or in an aged care facility.
Focused Health Care provides reliable and quality end-of-life home care. It is a privilege to support patients and their families on this journey. You can speak to our understanding team about organising end-of-life care here [link].
Who can access palliative care?
Palliative care is for anyone who has been diagnosed with a serious illness which cannot be cured. There is no age restriction on who can access palliative care; with children, young adults, adults, and the elderly all eligible for the service.
Receiving palliative care doesn’t mean you’re nearing the end of life, but it does mean your condition is life-limiting and is either active, advanced, or progressive. Some of the life-limiting illnesses include:
- Cancer
- Dementia
- End-stage kidney disease
- Motor neurone disease
Palliative care is a family-centric care model, where not only the patient is supported, but their family can also receive support and guidance. This is often by way of counselling, grief support, and in-home care and respite to remove some of the stress of caring for a loved one.
Can you receive palliative care at home?
Yes, you can. When you begin palliative care treatment, you’ll be assigned a palliative care team. Within that team, you’ll have access to health professionals like doctors and specialists, nurses, social workers, allied health professionals and psychologists.
While some of this care can only be provided in a clinic, there are lots of elements of palliative and end-of-life care which can be provided in the comfort of your own home. This includes things like your personal care, including medication management, in-home care and support with your day-to-day activities and community access.
How important is palliative care?
Receiving a diagnosis of an incurable condition can bring a range of emotions, from fear and sadness to a newfound determination to find meaning and make memories with family and friends.
Because palliative care is a person-centric care model, the patient is in the driving seat when it comes to making decisions about what palliative care looks like for them. This is why it’s so important to have a team of professionals who not only provide quality care, but have a genuine desire to support the patient throughout their entire journey.
Establishing a trusting and quality palliative care team can make an incredible difference while the patient and their family navigates the rollercoaster of emotions a life-limiting illness can bring.
Working with Focused Health Care
If your family member has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, it can be incredibly overwhelming making care arrangements while managing medical appointments, medication, and your day-to-day life.
Focused Health Care is a nurse-led organisation, with a passion for providing high quality, respectful and reliable palliative and end-of-life care. We understand there is a lot to manage, and to understand, which is where our team of nurses can step in to take care of the personal care, medication management and in-home support; so you can focus on making memories with your loved one.
Contact our team on 1300 201 351 to find out about our in-home palliative and end-of-life care in Brisbane and Townsville.
References
[1] Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care, What is palliative care?, https://www.health.gov.au/topics/palliative-care/about-palliative-care/what-is-palliative-care, accessed 28 September 2024.
