Palliative medicine is an important form of care that can improve the quality of life for elderly patients when they are suffering from a long-term illness or injury. The purpose of palliative medicine is to help relieve symptoms, provide support and comfort, discuss end-of-life options, and ensure overall well-being.
The Definition of Palliative Medicine
By definition, palliative medicine is interdisciplinary healthcare that focuses on alleviating and managing the symptoms of a serious illness while improving the quality of life for those affected. Palliative medicine focuses on managing symptoms along with treating and attempting to find a cure for a serious illness. Often, palliative care can make a huge difference in the overall quality of life for those patients.
How Palliative Care Works
Palliative care is typically provided by a team of professionals who specialize in providing supportive care, such as doctors, nurses, social workers, and other healthcare providers. This form of care aims to provide compassionate support for patients and their families during their treatment or illness. The goal of palliative medicine is to improve the quality of life for those suffering from a long-term illness or injury by addressing physical symptoms that might otherwise interfere with daily activities, managing pain levels, and improving overall well-being.
Palliative medicine may include things like:
- Symptom management strategies. Your care options may include both medication options and other solutions that can help you manage symptoms.
- Support and advice that can help guide you as you deal with serious issues.
- Comfort strategies, including massage, healing touch, and more.
The exact approach to palliative medicine may depend on the individual's condition and personal preferences.
Who Can Benefit From Palliative Medicine?
Palliative care can benefit people of all ages and stages of life, but it is most commonly used to help elderly patients. It has been proven to improve patient satisfaction and reduce stress for caregivers. Palliative medicine helps individuals make decisions about their health, providing them with comfort during challenging times in a way that neither curative treatments nor hospice services do alone. Many patients with heart disease, cancer, and other serious ailments turn to palliative care to help make it easier for them to maintain or improve their quality of life while dealing with those severe symptoms.
Home Care Options Can Form a Critical Part of the Palliative Care Puzzle
Palliative medicine is a crucial form of care for those dealing with long-term illness or injury and is often used to help elderly patients. One aspect of palliative medicine is often providing one-on-one care to help keep seniors in their homes longer. At Senior Helpers Scottsdale, we provide a variety of services to seniors in Scottsdale, Mesa, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Care Free, and Cave Creek that can help them with many of the tasks they have to deal with regularly, including basic self-care, maintaining activity levels, and even companionship services that can be essential when a senior is dealing with a serious health concern and facing a high degree of isolation. Contact Senior Helpers Scottsdale today to learn more about our services and how they can help your loved one.