BLOG
When someone you care for is put on palliative care, we know there’s often a flood of questions running through your mind – what is palliative care, how does it work, will it help? Well, we’re here to help it all make sense.
By the end of this blog, you’ll know what palliative care is, who it benefits, what it includes, and where you can receive it.
Palliative care is a specialised form of medical care to support people with life-limiting conditions or serious illness.
Designed to meet the needs of the patient, not just their condition or diagnosis, people can be put on palliative care at any stage of illness. It focuses on supporting the quality of life to keep your loved one comfortable despite potentially painful symptoms.
To ensure the best possible care, it’s often delivered by a multidisciplinary team including nurses, doctors, social workers, and chaplains.
No, palliative care doesn’t mean death. It’s a holistic form of care designed to support those with life-limiting conditions or complex care needs to live with comfort and dignity.
In fact, palliative care is often provided alongside curative treatments like chemotherapy to try to cure or slow down the illness. According to Marie Curie, palliative care can last for weeks or even years before the patient is moved onto end-of-life care towards the final stages.
The goal of palliative care is to relieve painful symptoms to allow a better quality of life for people with long-term illnesses.
Palliative care focuses mainly on this comfort and well-being aspect, rather than curing the condition. However, each patient’s care is designed specifically to meet their needs, meaning it can still include treatment options if that’s a possibility for the patient.
Family and friends of those in palliative care are often given emotional support as well, to help them manage the shift in their loved one’s care.
We know it can be scary when someone you care for is put on palliative care, but the purpose of it is to make their life better, keep them comfortable, and provide them with dignity.
There are plenty of conditions that could benefit from palliative care, not just those with a terminal diagnosis, including:
However, as palliative care is designed for the patient’s needs, those with traumatic or non-traumatic brain injuries from a stroke, infection, accident or fall may also benefit.
Medical professionals assess based on what they think is best for the individual. If your family member or friend has complex care needs with symptoms that are difficult to control, palliative care may benefit them.
As palliative care is designed to improve the patient’s quality of life, it includes all aspects of care, from symptom management to spiritual guidance. Keep reading to see what to expect from palliative care.
People in palliative care are dealing with complex medical diagnoses or life-limiting conditions. As such, an important part of it is symptom management and pain relief.
Doctors can help with physical symptoms like breathlessness, nausea, or muscle ache, but they’ll also help manage the mental difficulties that often come along with such a diagnosis – anxiety, stress, or even depression.
Being on palliative care takes a heavy emotional toll on the patient, creating stress and anxiety. To provide the most comprehensive care, they’ll also be offered emotional support.
Counselling helps the patient come to terms with their diagnosis by providing a safe space to discuss concerns or worries. It supports them to manage any anxiety, as well as helps them maintain their relationships during this difficult time.
For people on palliative care, daily tasks that seem simple to others, such as washing or dressing, can feel incredibly difficult. Palliative care teams will help patients manage these day-to-day tasks.
They may use specialist equipment to help with this, meaning tasks are a bit easier for patients to manage on their own, e.g., adjustable beds, nebulisers, or wheelchairs.
As palliative care takes a holistic approach, it commonly includes spiritual guidance for those who are religious or spiritual.
Patients will have access to chaplains for their specific religious beliefs to discuss concerns or worries about what comes next. Plus, any religious requirements will be respected, such as halal foods or kosher meats.
As a family member or friend of the person on palliative care, it can be difficult to understand and accept what is going on with your loved one – palliative care takes all of this into account.
With palliative care, those closest to the patient will often be offered support as well through bereavement counselling when the time comes. You’ll also be able to speak to their care team to ask any questions you might have.
There are a few places palliative care can be delivered – in a hospital, a hospice, a care home, or at home.
Where the patient receives palliative care depends on the environment that can provide them with the best support for their condition or diagnosis. As their family, you can speak to doctors or nurses about where you believe they’d be the most comfortable.
They might start palliative care in the hospital, but that doesn’t mean they need to stay there. Palliative care assesses ongoing needs, meaning relocation can be arranged if needed.
So, don’t worry if you once felt they were better off in the hospital, but have since changed your mind and would like it to be considered that they move home. You can discuss this with their care team.
Two of the most common places to deliver palliative care are at home or in a hospital. As their loved one, you’re likely wondering which is the right choice for them, and we’re here to ensure you can make an informed decision.
In the table below, we’ll highlight some of the benefits and differences of receiving palliative care at home vs in a hospital.
Palliative Care at Home VS in a Hospital | |
At Home | In a Hospital |
Remain in the comfort of their own home | Easy access to hospital equipment |
Care is provided by GPs, community nurses, and carers | Care is provided by doctors, nurses, and specialists in the hospital |
Loved ones can visit the patient as and when they wish | Loved ones may need to consider visiting hours |
Provisions are made to support treatment at home | Specialist teams provide comprehensive treatment and care |
Able to maintain some daily routine where possible | Receive structured care and support day-to-day |
The NHS says that palliative care teams should try to organise for the patient to receive care according to their wishes. As such, if you think the person you care for would prefer one over the other, make sure you speak to the medical professionals in charge of their care.
We understand how difficult it is to hear that your family member is being put on palliative care, but you don’t need to go it alone.
Here at Mountbatton Care, we offer compassionate at-home palliative care that supports your loved one with a bespoke care plan. We’re CQC-registered, meaning you can trust us to treat them with the respect they deserve during this difficult time.
If you think someone you care for would benefit from palliative care, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can reach us via phone on 0151 920 5797 for Liverpool or 01704 231 231 for Southport, or send an email to info@mbcare.org. Alternatively, fill out our contact form, and we’ll call you back.
Whether you’re looking for support for yourself or a loved one, we’re here to help.