Conversation Matters

What is Palliative Care? Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Definition of Serious Illness - A health condition that carries a high risk of mortality AND either negatively impacts a person’s daily function or quality of life, OR excessively strains their caregivers. 

Needed Everywhere:

  • Is appropriate at any age and stage in a serious illness, and can be provided along with curative treatment
  • People may need palliative care in hospitals, in the community and in nursing facilities
  • Care can be provided at home, inpatient facilities, clinic, community or anywhere services are available

4 C’s of Palliative Care:

  • Comfort
  • Communication/Conversation
  • Choices
  • Control

How can I benefit?

  • Provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms
  • Intends neither to hasten or postpone death
  • Offers a support system to help patients live as actively as possible until death
  • Patient and family centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering

Palliative Care Can:

  • Improve quality of Life
  • Reduces pain
  • Make patients feel better
  • Decrease readmissions
  • Improves patient and family satisfaction
  • Open lines of communication

 What are the treatment goals?

  • Medication education
  • Symptom management
  • Support and education for the patient and family
  • Advance Care Planning

What is Advance Care Planning?

  • The process of identifying and discussing future medical decisions regarding treatment options and goals you would or would not want. 
  • Appointing a healthcare agent
  • Completing an advance directive
Have you had the conversation?

Duane Fried, RN, Discharge Planner
701-567-6010 or duanef@wrhs.com

 

Additional Resources

Healthcare Directives

Honoring Choices North Dakota

MedlinePlus

Get Palliative Care

Center to Advance Palliative Care