Debunking Five Common Myths About Palliative Care

Palliative care is often misunderstood by patients, relatives and families as it means the end of life and is the same as hospice care.

Highlights:

Palliative care is a new specialization in healthcare
It encourages coordinated therapeutic care and helping patients and family comprehend treatment options

The primary goal of palliative care is to alleviate distressing symptoms such as pain that would otherwise be a burden for those with critical and advanced illnesses. Palliative care encourages coordinated complicated therapeutic care, helping patients and family comprehend their treatment options as each patient expresses their unique aim. It is in addition to systemically treating misery or other symptoms.

Palliative care is a relatively young specialization in the rapidly evolving area in healthcare. As a result, patients, family members, and even some clinicians commonly misunderstand it. It aims to address common misconceptions regarding palliative care.

Palliative Care
Palliative care is specialized care for terminally ill patients, aiming to keep patients comfortable and improve quality of life, along with curative therapy.

‘Patients, family members and caregivers frequently believe that palliative care equates to hospice care and denotes the end of life.’

Myth 1: Does Palliative Care Denote the End of Life?

After diagnosis, the patient is considered a ‘complete entity’ according to the idea of palliative care. Palliative care is not a sign that the patient has lost hope in the eyes of the medical team. It entails giving patients the highest quality of life possible so they may handle their therapeutic therapy more effectively. Even if the patient is not receiving curative care for their illnesses, treatment is still ongoing. It indicates that care, support and treatment are provided, but with a new focus on preserving the highest quality and dignity until death.

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Myth 2: Is Palliative Care the same as Hospice Care?

Palliative care is a type of holistic specialty care designed to accompany patients throughout their entire hospitalization and treatment experience for a serious or life-threatening illness. Hospice care, on the other hand, assists those with a terminal illness who are no longer looking for curative measures. During therapy, palliative care helps patients live better lives.

It is crucial to realize that palliative care is not provided in a hospice-centric setting. In other words, the palliative team knows how to protect the patient and speak up for them rather than promoting someone into hospice.

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Myth 3: Can Only Pain be Treated with Palliative Treatment?

Referrals for palliative care are frequently due to pain that is treated with prescription painkillers. Palliative care aims to treat pain with pharmaceuticals and non-medications, such as complementary treatments and other non-pain medications that aid with pain. In addition to pain, persons may also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, lack of appetite, difficulties sleeping, anxiety, depression, itching and restlessness, which would make them candidates for a palliative care consultation.

Palliative care can be recommended for patients who are experiencing non-physical problems such as anxiety, depression, spiritual anguish, and other conditions that may affect the quality of life of the patient and their loved ones’.

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Myth 4: Are Only Patients with Terminal Cancer Eligible for Palliative Care?

Any critical condition, including cancer, can benefit from palliative care at any stage of the disease. Palliative care is available for people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney, liver, lung, heart diseases, diabetes, dementia and other conditions.

Myth 5: Does Palliative Care mark the Beginning of the End?

The highest possible quality of life is given to patients until the end. Palliative care provides the patient and their loved ones with physical, emotional, social and spiritual support. According to research, people who receive palliative care have a higher quality of life. Additionally, they typically live longer than those who do not receive palliative care and have the same final stage of illness.

Summarizing Palliative Care

1. It relieves discomfort and other unpleasant symptoms.
2. Affirms life and views death as a natural process.
3. Neither seeks to hasten nor postpone death.
4. Integrates the psychological and spiritual facets of patient care.
5. Provides a support network to assist patients in living as fully as they can until death.

Source-Medindia