Health Services - Senior Citizen's Guide

Improving the Quality of Life Through
Palliative Care
The best way to demonstrate the
value of palliative care, also known
as supportive care, is through
the life of a patient. Marilyn is
73 years old and was diagnosed
with heart failure several years
ago. This progressive disease has
steadily decreased her quality of
life. Marilyn had been a smoker
for 50 years and it has taken a toll
on not just her heart but her lungs
as well. Recently, the doctor added
COPD as a secondary diagnosis.
Between the two illnesses, Marilyn
is admitted to the hospital at least
once a month. Each time, it is the
same process. She is in the hospital
for a few days, starts improving and
is discharged home. Most of the
time, Marilyn’s doctor will order
home health care. She is afraid and
concerned that this vicious cycle is
never going to end.
What are her options? Does she
want to go to the hospital? What does
Marilyn want? These are important
questions. This is where palliative
care can make the difference. Sitting
down with Marilyn, the palliative
care or transitional nurse asks those
vital questions. To Marilyn’s family,
it is a surprise that she does not
want to continue this cycle. They
do not realize or understand how
this was impacting her physical and
psychological health. The palliative
care nurse explains palliative care
to her and her family. They reach
out to them on a whole new level
by placing Marilyn’s needs and
wishes as an essential piece to her
healthcare plan.
The heart of palliative care
is to enhance quality of life and
provide comfort to people of
all ages with serious, chronic,
and life-threatening illnesses,
delivering patient care by focusing
on symptom management, relief of
pain, and decreasing stress.
Palliative care treats people
suffering from serious and chronic
illnesses such as cancer, cardiac
disease such as heart failure (HF),
chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD), kidney failure,
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s,
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS) and many more.
Palliative care concentrates
on symptoms such as pain,
fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss
of appetite, shortness of breath,
difficulty sleeping, depression,
as well as others. It also helps
the patient build strength and
conserve energy to complete tasks
of daily life. Another benefit is the
patient’s ability to tolerate medical
treatments, have more control
on decisions for treatment, and
improve communication with all
44 www.BoomersResourceGuide.com