Palliative Care: How Palliative Care Can Help You

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How Palliative Care Can Help You

Palliative care can help you feel better as a whole person—in your body, mind, and spirit. It helps you focus on “the big picture” of your life. Palliative care includes your family and loved ones.

Sometimes talking with someone who is not a friend or family member can help you see more clearly. This person could be a palliative care provider.

It is important to talk about your goals and wishes sooner rather than later. That way, you, your loved ones, and your doctors know what you want. If you choose, you can be a part of every decision about your care.

Palliative care works best with open communication. Try to focus on what you can do to improve communication with your palliative care provider. If you do not understand what is being said, ask questions until you do. You may want to write down your questions before your appointment or to bring a loved one to your appointment. Important questions to ask include:

• What is my diagnosis?
• What are my treatment options?
• What are the side effects of these treatments?
• What do you think will happen if I choose not to treat my illness?
• How long do you think I have to live?
• How soon do I need to make a decision about which treatment to use (or to not use)?
• How will my illness and care affect my loved ones?

You might talk about many things during a palliative care visit, including:

Treatment. You get to decide how well your treatment is working and if you want to continue it. Maybe you really want to see your grandson graduate, so you decide to continue treatment even though it makes you feel sick. Or maybe you prefer to stop or limit treatment because you would rather focus on the quality of your life rather than the length of your life.

Pain and treatment side effects. You may think you have to live with side effects or pain. But a palliative care doctor can often prescribe medicines to help with these. While all types of treatment have pros and cons, you can work with your doctor to find the right mix of medicines for you.

Emotional and social challenges. A palliative care team can help you and your loved ones feel more at peace. Palliative care team members may talk to you about your feelings about living with a long-term (chronic) illness. They may help your family get along better or share feelings more openly. They might even be able to help you find resources for money problems. It depends on what you need.

Spiritual concerns. It can be scary to think about living the rest of your life with a chronic illness. You may be struggling with questions such as "Did I do something to deserve this illness?" "Has my life been meaningful?" or "What is going to happen to me when I die?" Your palliative care team can help you talk through these kinds of questions.

Goals and dreams. Maybe you have always wanted to go to Hawaii or write your life story, but traveling or writing is difficult because of your illness. A palliative care team may be able to help make these goals and dreams come true.

Hospice care. When you, your loved ones, or your doctors feel that you may have less than 6 to 12 months to live, you may want to think about hospice. Hospice is palliative care that you can receive in your home. For many people, being at home is more comfortable than being in a hospital. Being at home allows them to be with loved ones and to focus on what matters most. For more information, see the topic Hospice Care.

Advance directives. A palliative care doctor can help you fill out important legal papers called an advance directive. These papers tell your doctors how to care for you at the end of your life. For example, you decide if you want doctors to use machines to keep your body alive when it can no longer do so by itself, and how long you would be willing to live on these machines. You decide whether you would want doctors to try to bring you back to life using CPR once your heart stops. You also decide who you want to make decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself. For more information, see the topic Writing an Advance Directive.

You may find it helpful to read personal stories about how palliative care has helped others.

Last updated:	December 27, 2007
Author:	Jeannette Curtis
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Shelly R. Garone, MD - Palliative Care
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC