What Makes Palliative Care Different
Palliative care is often confused with hospice care, but there is a critical difference. Palliative care is for symptom relief during curative treatment — it is not limited to end-of-life situations. Patients receiving palliative care may still be pursuing aggressive treatments like chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. Palliative care provides an extra layer of support alongside those treatments.
Palliative care is provided by a team of specially-trained doctors, nurses, and other specialists working together with a patient's other doctors to provide that extra layer of care and support. It is customized to the specific needs of each patient and is offered to patients of any age, no matter what stage of the illness.
Who Benefits from Palliative Care?
Palliative care is appropriate for anyone with a serious, chronic, or life-threatening illness, including:
- Cancer (at any stage, alongside active treatment)
- Heart failure and cardiovascular disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
- Kidney failure and renal disease
- Stroke and neurological conditions
- Liver disease
- ALS and other progressive conditions
Benefits of Palliative Care
- Improved Quality of Life: Research consistently shows that patients receiving palliative care report better quality of life, less pain, and fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. Learn more about the benefits of palliative care.
- Better Communication: Our palliative care team helps facilitate conversations between patients, families, and medical providers about treatment goals, prognosis, and care preferences.
- Coordinated Care: We work alongside your existing doctors to ensure all aspects of your care work together. This coordination often leads to fewer hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
- Support for Families: Serious illness affects the entire family. Our team provides emotional support, practical guidance, and counseling to help family members cope with the challenges of caregiving.
- Reduced Healthcare Costs: Studies show that palliative care can reduce overall healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary tests, procedures, and hospitalizations while improving patient outcomes.
Our Palliative Care Approach
At Pinnacle, our palliative care program focuses on:
- Pain Management: Expert assessment and treatment of pain using a variety of approaches tailored to each patient
- Symptom Control: Management of nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and other symptoms
- Emotional Support: Counseling and support to help patients and families cope with stress, anxiety, and depression related to serious illness
- Spiritual Care: Our spiritual care coordinator addresses the spiritual needs and concerns of patients and their families
- Advance Care Planning: Guidance in understanding treatment options and aligning medical care with personal values and goals
Who Pays for Palliative Care?
Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover the costs of palliative care. Learn more about palliative care payment options, or contact Pinnacle Palliative Care and one of our representatives will help answer any questions.
