ABOUT PALLIATIVE & SUPPORTIVE CARE
WHAT IS PALLIATIVE CARE?
Palliative care focuses on giving physical and emotional relief to people who have serious illnesses. It focuses on caring for, rather than curing, the patient.
Both people who get an LVAD and people who decline the device can make use of palliative care to control pain and manage symptoms.
Palliative care takes a team approach. The patient and his or her family work with doctors and other specialists to help give the patient the best quality of life possible. Everyone works to help the patient avoid suffering.
Through the different stages of the patient's illness, the palliative care team addresses his or her physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Most hospitals have a palliative care doctor working with the heart team. If you are interested in learning more about palliative care, your doctor can help you talk with an expert.
Palliative care takes a team approach. The patient and his or her family work with doctors and other specialists to help give the patient the best quality of life possible. Everyone works to help the patient avoid suffering.
Through the different stages of the patient's illness, the palliative care team addresses his or her physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs.
Most hospitals have a palliative care doctor working with the heart team. If you are interested in learning more about palliative care, your doctor can help you talk with an expert.
WHAT IS ADVANCE CARE PLANNING?
Advance care planning refers to plans you make ahead of time to let your family and your doctors know about your preferences related to future medical care.
In case you are unable to speak for yourself, an "advance directive" helps others make decisions in line with your values. As you are making major decisions about your health, ask your doctor about your advance care planning options.
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WHAT IS HOSPICE?
Hospice is not a place. It's a type of healthcare for people with serious illnesses who are nearing the end of their lives.
People receive hospice care in their homes, in hospice centers, and in other medical facilities.
Hospice focuses on making the end of life natural and as comfortable as possible. People in hospice don't receive treatments to try to prolong their lives. Instead, a hospice care team focuses on relieving patients' pain, if any, and offering emotional and spiritual support to the patient and his or her family. Hospice also helps the family in the immediate time after the death.
“THINGS ARE DIFFERENT. I'M USED TO BEING MORE INDEPENDENT AND NOW I DEPEND MORE ON OTHERS. BUT THAT CAN BRING PEOPLE CLOSER AS WELL”
Jeff, LVAD Patient