palliative care
Palliative Care and Hospice Care: The Principles and Goals They Set
The principles of palliative care and hospice care have similar goals that may often come together in an effort of providing the best care for a patient. Palliative care is holistic care of an individual with a chronic life debilitating condition whereas hospice care is for those with a terminal condition who have been diagnosed with 6 months or less to live. Palliative care usually will begin prior to the hospice care and continues to be joined with hospice care. “It is important to note that the prognosis-based distinction between palliative care (eligibility based on need, no prognostic restriction) and hospice (eligibility based on a prognosis of living less than six months) is unique to the United States, whereas in other countries the terms palliative care and hospice are largely synonymous”(1) “The Institute of Medicine ([IOM], 2003) defined palliative care as the total active care of the body, mind, and spirit. The aim of palliative care is to prevent or lessen the severity of pain and other symptoms, and to achieve the best quality of life” (IOM, 2003, p.2) throughout the course of any life –threatening or life-limiting healthcare condition.” (2) In providing palliative care to an individual the possibility of curing the illness still exists. The patient is made as comfortable as possible but has not been given a time frame for death. An “Interdisciplinary palliative care teams assess and treat symptoms, support decision making and help match treatments to informed patient and family goals, mobilize practical aid for patients and their family caregivers, identify community resources to ensure a safe and secure living environment, and promote collaborative, and seamless models of care across a range of care settings (i.e., hospital, home, and nursing home).”(1) Palliative care begins when an individual’s quality of life has decreased because of their disease process and the
The principles of palliative care and hospice care have similar goals that may often come together in an effort of providing the best care for a patient. Palliative care is holistic care of an individual with a chronic life debilitating condition whereas hospice care is for those with a terminal condition who have been diagnosed with 6 months or less to live. Palliative care usually will begin prior to the hospice care and continues to be joined with hospice care. “It is important to note that the prognosis-based distinction between palliative care (eligibility based on need, no prognostic restriction) and hospice (eligibility based on a prognosis of living less than six months) is unique to the United States, whereas in other countries the terms palliative care and hospice are largely synonymous”(1) “The Institute of Medicine ([IOM], 2003) defined palliative care as the total active care of the body, mind, and spirit. The aim of palliative care is to prevent or lessen the severity of pain and other symptoms, and to achieve the best quality of life” (IOM, 2003, p.2) throughout the course of any life –threatening or life-limiting healthcare condition.” (2) In providing palliative care to an individual the possibility of curing the illness still exists. The patient is made as comfortable as possible but has not been given a time frame for death. An “Interdisciplinary palliative care teams assess and treat symptoms, support decision making and help match treatments to informed patient and family goals, mobilize practical aid for patients and their family caregivers, identify community resources to ensure a safe and secure living environment, and promote collaborative, and seamless models of care across a range of care settings (i.e., hospital, home, and nursing home).”(1) Palliative care begins when an individual’s quality of life has decreased because of their disease process and the
References: Bonebrake, D., Call, K., Culver, C., & Ward-Smith, P. (2010, June). Clinically differentiating palliative care and hospice. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 14(3), 273+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA231807936&v=2.1&u=lincclin_fccj&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=cb9b3d9659946c2bae4f99e7c40bd81c Kincaid, L., & Labell, L. (2011). Death and Dying: Hospice . Human Growth and Development (Third Edition ed., ). Jacksonville: Florida State College. Meier, D. (2011). Increased access to palliative care and hospice services: opportunities to improve value in health care. The Milbank Quarterly, 89(3), 343-380. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2011.00632.x