Is It Time For Palliative Care?
Palliative care is care people get when they have a chronic health condition. There are plenty of misconceptions and misunderstandings about palliative care, but it could provide many benefits and improve one's quality of life.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is care provided with the intention of delivering comfort and peace of mind to recipients and their families who live with chronic health conditions. It is for people of any age. However, it is more common among older individuals who need assistance caring for themselves.
Palliative care includes various providers, including doctors, nurses, and home aides. The doctors and nurses primarily focus on medical treatment to help with the underlying condition, while the home aide or caregiver focuses on nonmedical assistance to provide physical and emotional comfort.
Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care
People often confuse palliative and hospice care. They have many similarities and, on the surface, provide clients with the same care. However, the biggest difference is that hospice care patients no longer receive treatment for their underlying conditions. Hospice care aims to make clients feel as comfortable as possible by managing symptoms. Clients receiving palliative care may still work with a medical team to treat their underlying conditions.
Signs You May Benefit From Palliative Care
Many seniors can benefit from palliative care, especially older adults with chronic health conditions. If you’re experiencing any of the following, you may want to consider palliative care:
- You were recently diagnosed with a chronic health condition like heart failure or cancer.
- You have trouble completing daily tasks like cooking or cleaning.
- You have trouble taking care of yourself.
- You’re no longer able to drive.
- Loved ones have expressed concerns about your health and safety.
- You live alone and don’t have someone nearby to help when needed.
Palliative Care With Visiting Angels
If you’re living with a chronic condition that makes it challenging to care for yourself, the team at Visiting Angels is here to help through our palliative care services. Our compassionate caregivers can provide non-medical care to keep you safe and comfortable at home.
Our services include assistance with cooking, light housekeeping, medication reminders, personal grooming, bathroom duties, and mobility. We also offer transportation to doctor’s appointments and can work alongside your medical team to provide emotional, spiritual, and mental support.
Visiting Angels is more than a palliative care provider. We’re a locally owned and operated home care agency dedicated to helping seniors safely age in place. We strive to provide exceptional care services and match each client with a compassionate caregiver who fits the client’s personality and interests. We’ve found that by taking time to pair each caregiver with a client, the two have a more solid foundation for building a lasting and trusting relationship.
If you want to learn more about our palliative care options, contact our Rockwall office to schedule a complimentary consultation.