What Is Palliative Care? Information and Resources for Healthcare Professionals

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care focuses on the relief of pain, symptoms and the stress of serious illness.

·         The goal is to reduce suffering and improve quality of life for individuals and families.

·         Palliative care is provided at any stage of an illness and can be provided simultaneously with curative treatment.

·         Palliative care is typically provided by an interdisciplinary team of professionals that may include, but is not limited to: physicians, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, social workers, chaplains, pharmacists and dietitians, depending upon the needs of the patient and family.

·         For many individuals, it is transitioning from one setting to another that contributes to poor outcomes with multiple re-hospitalizations. Palliative care may be provided in a variety of settings, (hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, assisted living, home, and out-patient clinics) in order to assure continuity of care in multiple settings over the course of the disease process.

 

Why Should a Primary Care Physician, Oncologist or Other Specialist Refer to a Palliative Care Team?

·         For support to seriously ill patients who have complex pain and symptom management issues.

·         For support to seriously ill patients who have a high need for patient and family communication.

·         To bring the entire team to the table in addressing multiple issues facing the patient and family.

·         To meet the communication needs of the patient and ensure fully informed consent, based on the benefits and burdens of the treatments and the wishes of the patient and family.

 

Examples of Typical Palliative Care Referrals:

·         Patient/family/physician needs help with complex treatment decision-making and determination of care goals.

·         Patient is experiencing physical pain, psychosocial or spiritual suffering and/or other symptom distress.

·         ICU patient with documented poor prognosis.

·         Withdrawal of life-support in the ICU.

·         Care of the dying pateitn and support of the family.

·         Assistance needed to determine hospice eligibility.

Download a copy of What Is Palliative Care? Information and Resources for Healthcare Professionals (PDF) from NHPCO’s Caring Connections website for some frequently asked questions and links to other resource organizations.