Palliative Care Questions & Answers

What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is for people at any stage of an illness—usually a chronic illness.  It can take place simultaneously with treatment meant to cure the illness. Its main goal is to improve quality of life by providing expert pain management, eliminating side effects as much as possible, and caring for the patient’s emotional and spiritual needs.
 
Palliative care is aimed at easing the day-to-day life of the patient and loved ones.  A palliative care team brings all available resources together to support the patient. Palliative care also helps the patient and loved ones communicate with other health providers to make sure the patient’s goals are met.

What type of health care specialists provide palliative care?
Palliative care involves many different types of providers from various specialties, depending on the needs of the patient.  The team may include physicians, nurses, other medical specialists, social workers, clergy, volunteers, etc.  Our Palliative Care program also brings community resources together to help patients, loved ones and caregivers.

Why would I want palliative care?
Palliative care is patient-centered care that can strengthen you emotionally and spiritually while you pursue a cure or prepare for end-of-life.  Palliative care providers want to know how you are doing day-to-day.  They ask about what is bothering you, what is important to you and how other family members are doing. They find answers for questions you may have about treatment or alternative treatments.  They ask how your illness is affecting you emotionally and spiritually. They can help you determine what your goals are for medical treatment.  They can help you make plans for future care.

How is Palliative Care different from Hospice? 
Hospice is a type of palliative care that focuses on the end-of-life when a patient is no longer undergoing curative treatment and is expected to live less than six months.  At one time, hospice was the only type of palliative care typically available.  The improvement in quality of life for hospice patients and their loved ones is widely recognized. Today, palliative care covers the entire cycle of care for an illness.  Palliative care is offered at any stage as a complement to curative treatment.

How would my palliative care provider help me with treatment choices?
You may want to know every detail about your treatment.  You may prefer to leave the decisions to your doctor or other family members.  This is a choice made by each individual patient.  Your palliative care team can help you understand your illness and any treatment options you have.  They can help you weigh the pros and cons of different treatments.  They can help you think through your options and help communicate your desires to everyone involved with your care.

 
How would my palliative care provider help me with pain management?
Palliative care specialists are trained specifically in pain management.  They know it is a key ingredient to quality of life.  They know which medicines are best at treating various types of pain and which are likely to cause side effects.  They know how to coordinate pain medicine with other medicines you may be taking for your illness. They also may suggest other pain therapies such as yoga, heat or cold therapy, biofeedback, etc. 

Serious illness is emotionally draining.  Some patients seek counseling to help with emotional pain, which can help with physical pain. Palliative care providers can find other professionals and programs that may help the patient.

How would my palliative care provider help me with side effects from my treatment?
Side effects from treatment are common and can be worse than the pain you experience.  If you tell your palliative care provider about side effects, he or she may be able to help you.  Just as is pain management, there are drug and non-drug therapies that may help. Examples of side effects include nausea, tiredness, constipation and others.

How can a palliative care provider help me decide my future treatment goals?
People facing illness often have to choose between differing forms of treatment in order to reach specific goals. You may want to try any treatment, regardless of its chance of success or likely side effects. You may decide to try certain treatments and not others.  Your main goal may be feeling well enough to attend a future family event.  These are not easy decisions.  It may help to talk through options with a non-family member.  You may want help communicating your views to loved ones and medical professionals. Even though you are still undergoing curative treatments, you may decide to file Advance Directives, which are legal documents that specify who will make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so, or what kind of treatments you prefer at the end of your life.  Our palliative care specialists are well-versed in these decisions.

How can palliative care help me spiritually?
The Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois palliative care team can arrange for a chaplain or a spiritual adviser to visit you.  It does not matter what your religion or personal beliefs are.  The chaplain will respect your beliefs and is used to dealing with people from all faiths.  You may wish to speak about your life, your faith, or feelings about your illness.

What happens if I decide I don’t want any more curative treatment?
You may need to be transferred from our Palliative Care program  into our hospice program.  The care team will continue to help with pain management and provide the same patient-centered care.  You may need a higher level of palliative care by this time, which will be provided. 

Do Medicare and insurance companies pay for palliative care?
Palliative care is covered by Medicare and some insurance plans. It is best to check with your individual plan to determine exact coverage.