Palliative care
Palliative care is a specialized medical care approach that focuses on improving the quality of life of patients who are suffering from serious illnesses. The goal of palliative care is to provide relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of the illness, and to offer emotional and spiritual support to the patient and their family.
Palliative care is not just for patients who are at the end of their lives. It can be provided at any stage of a serious illness and can be given alongside curative treatments. Palliative care teams typically include doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other healthcare professionals who work together to provide comprehensive care.
Services provided[edit | edit source]
Some of the services provided by palliative care teams include:
- Pain and symptom management
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Assistance with decision-making
- Coordination of care between different healthcare providers
Palliative care can be provided in a variety of settings, including hospitals, hospices, and patients' homes.
Patient- and family-centered approach[edit | edit source]
Palliative care strives to meet physical needs through relieving pain and maintaining quality of life while emphasizing the patient's and family's rights to participate in informed discussions and to make choices. This patient- and family-centered approach uses the skills of interdisciplinary team members to provide a comprehensive continuum of care, including spiritual and emotional needs.
Summary[edit | edit source]
Palliative care is an approach to life-threatening chronic illnesses, especially at the end of life. Palliative care combines active and compassionate therapies to comfort and support patients who are living with life-ending illnesses and their families. Palliative care is an essential part of modern healthcare, providing a holistic approach to patient care, with a focus on improving the patient's quality of life and addressing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
| Palliative care Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
