The 5 Benefits of Palliative Care

Facing a life-threatening chronic condition can be extremely daunting for anyone, including their caregivers. How can they improve their daily lives so that they feel better and more comfortable in the last moments of their journeys?

In this article, we explore palliative care, an important solution that can help resolve this problem for many.
What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is a unique medical care that is not designed to treat a chronic condition, but to improve a patient’s quality of life and comfort.

Who Can Benefit From Palliative Care?

Palliative care is aimed at helping severely ill patients, like those who have life-threatening medical conditions. These conditions may include:

Cancer
Dementia
Alzheimer’s
Organ failure

Such life-threatening conditions typically cause high levels of mental and physical stress on either the patient or the patient’s caregiver. Palliative care helps them determine and manage their stress to boost their daily life.

It can even help these patients live longer.

However, it is also accessible for patients of all ages and disease stages. It can also be provided concurrently with medical treatment.

Is Palliative Care the Same as Hospice Care?

Although some may assume that palliative care is the same as hospice care, they are not. Palliative care can be implemented at any stage of an illness, while hospice care is specially for the final 6 months of life.

Who Can Provide Palliative Care?

Several medical professionals may help in providing palliative care:

Primary care physicians
Medical specialists
Palliative care specialists
Health systems
Private businesses
Home health organisations

D&CMed’s house doctors are also highly qualified to offer robust palliative care. Our professional doctors in Singapore travel to our patients’ homes to help offer them comfort at their convenience.

What Are the Benefits of Palliative Care?

Here are some potential advantages of engaging palliative care:
Decreased Depression Risk

Palliative care can result in a lower risk of depression, particularly in newly diagnosed advanced-stage cancer patients.
Prolonged Survival

Depression may be connected to death. That means that palliative care can increase a patient’s survival.
Better Caregiver Satisfaction

Palliative care has been found to consistently improve caregiver satisfaction levels.
Instructional Guidance and Emotional Support

Palliative care may provide instructions to guide caregivers and family members, as well as offer emotional support.
Enhanced Quality of Life

As mentioned above, palliative care can help to improve a patient’s quality of life.
System and Pain Management

Palliative care can help manage the symptoms of patients, as well as pain management.

When Should You Get Palliative Care?

There is no hard and fast rule as to when you should obtain palliative care.

In fact, you need not wait for your illness to become serious or life-threatening before doing so. Several studies hint that implementing palliative care early on can lead to better survival and quality of life.

It has numerous benefits that can contribute to making the lives of patients, caregivers, and loved ones easier and better.