FAQs & Myths: Palliative Care

FAQs
1.  What is palliative care?
It is a specialized form of care focused on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness


2. At what stage of illness should palliative care begin?
Palliative care can begin as soon as a serious illness is diagnosed regardless of the stage of the disease or life expectancy.


3. What are the goals of palliative care?
It aims to enhance quality of life for patients and their families by addressing physical, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of both patient and family.


4. Can palliative care be provided alongside curative treatments?
Yes, it can be provided alongside curative treatments or as the main focus when treatment is no longer effective.


5.    What conditions are commonly treated with palliative care?
Chronic or life-limiting illnesses include:
    • Cancer
    • Heart failure
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
    • Kidney disease
    • Advanced liver disease
    •  Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, ALS, and multiple sclerosis
    •  Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
    •  Aging degeneration


6. Who provides palliative care?
multidisciplinary team often delivers palliative care including
    • Doctors
    • Nurses
    • Social workers
    • Chaplains
    • Alternative therapists (e.g.: Acupuncture and Reiki)
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​Myths
1. Palliative care is offered at the very end of life
Fact: Palliative care is available to patients at any point in the course of their illness. Patients who are receiving palliative care may also undergo additional treatments for their illness, such as chemotherapy, dialysis, and surgery.
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2. Opioids (such as morphine) speed up dying
Morphine and similar medications are administered at appropriate dosages to alleviate pain, reduce shortness of breath, and ensure comfort, rather than hastening the process of death. In reality, palliative care can extend the life of an individual by ensuring that they are comfortable and that their primary symptoms are addressed.


3. People who stop eating and drinking in palliative care die of starvation
Individuals with advanced illnesses do not experience hunger or thirst in the same manner as those who are sound. The body's natural progression toward the end of life involves consuming less food and fluids.


4. Palliative care is only used to treat pain and they will just give me morphine
Pain is a frequent reason for a referral to palliative care, and analgesics (pain medications) are occasionally prescribed to manage it. Nevertheless, palliative care aims to alleviate pain through the use of both medications and non-medications, including complementary therapies (e.g., massage, acupuncture, Reiki, pet therapy) and other non-pain medications that aid in pain management.


5. Palliative care is only for people who have cancer
Although palliative care was initially developed in conjunction with cancer, it is possible for palliative care to be provided to all individuals who are suffering from a severe, intractable illness or even elderly individuals who do not necessarily have a terminal illness.