Q. What is palliative medicine?
A. Palliative medicine is a type of medical which is subspecialty provided by doctors in various fields of medicine who offer palliative care for seriously ill people. Palliative care in general is medicine that relieves suffering and improves quality of life for people of various ages and in fact at all stages of serious illnesses (no matter if the illness is chronic, curable, or life-threatening).
Q. What is the difference between palliative and hospice care?
A. Hospice is considered to be a specific type of palliative care for people who are likely to have only six months or even less to live. According to experts palliative care in Montreal is a whole-person care that aims to relieve symptoms of any disorder or disease, whether or not it can eventually be cured. In other words, from the definitions you can see that hospice care is always palliative, but not all palliative care is hospice.
Q. Who provides palliative care?
A. Palliative care is generally provided by a professional interdisciplinary team ideally from a caregiving agency. This team consists of at least one doctor who specializes in palliative medicine, a nurse (or a couple of them), and a pharmacist. Besides, there also might be a social worker, and a dietitian present, and usually some volunteers or interns.
Q. When should someone consider palliative care?
A. Palliative care can be considered at any stage of a serious illness, from the time of diagnosis through the end of life. It is most beneficial when integrated early in the course of the illness, alongside curative treatments, to provide comprehensive support and improve the patient’s quality of life.
Q. How can I access palliative care for myself or a loved one?
A. You can ask your healthcare provider for a referral to palliative care services or inquire about palliative care options at the hospital or healthcare facility where you or your loved one are receiving treatment. Many hospitals have palliative care teams that can be consulted to assess your needs and develop a personalized care plan. There are also many private services that offer home care packages, which can make starting this process easier. Additionally, you can contact local hospice organizations or palliative care providers in your community for assistance.
Q. What is the difference between a regular doctor and a palliative doctor?
A. A family physician is dedicated to overseeing the general health of patients or addressing specific diseases or conditions. In contrast, palliative care doctors focus on preventing and alleviating patients’ suffering while enhancing their overall quality of life. Some palliative care doctors extend their support to the entire family, assisting them in coping with the stress and challenges of their loved one’s illness. The distinct focuses of these medical professionals are often mirrored in their choice of medical scrubs. Family physicians typically opt for traditional, neutral-colored scrubs, symbolizing their role as healers. Conversely, palliative care physicians often select warmer, softer-colored scrubs, akin to these men’s and womens scrubs, to create a soothing environment and convey compassion. Although the styles may appear similar, the scrubs chosen by these professionals broadly reflect the differing emphases of their respective medical specialties.
Q. If I agree to palliative care, does that mean I “give up?”
A. This is the most frequent delusion that people have about palliative care today. This is absolutely not true. The main idea of palliative care is to make you feel more comfortable and help achieve the best possible results with coping you’re your illness and also to provide you with better quality of life. Modern medicine allows you to have palliative care at the same time as you are undergoing various treatments that may either cure or even reverse the effects of the illness. As a matter of fact, palliative care can usually help you cope with aggressive treatments (that sometimes are needed in the curing programs of some serious illnesses) by getting the pain and symptoms under strict control in order to help you fight the disease.
Q. How can one find palliative care?
A. Today palliative care is provided in various places: from regular hospitals, special nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities to even “ordering” it to the patient’s home. The latter option is usually chosen by families who seek Montreal elderly care centers for their parents. If you need to find a palliative doctor the simplest way to do so is to ask your personal doctor for any references or you can also inquire about such information in your local hospital.
