Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Near Me
Palliative medicine is a very refined medical subspeciality that is provided by doctors who are trained on offering palliative care for individuals who are seriously ill or facing the end of life. Unlike a traditional stay in the hospital, palliative care seeks to relieve the suffering and improve the quality of life for individuals who are at any stage in grappling with a serious illness. Whether the illness is curable, chronic, or life-threatening, palliative care can reduce the pain and suffering of the patient involved.
Are you interested in finding a hospice and palliative medicine specialist near you? Simply browse hospice and palliative medicine specialist near me on the map below and find a list of qualified professionals in your local area. Need a bit more information on this branch of medicine? Read on for helpful facts, interesting trivia, and tips on finding the proper care.
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Near Me – Find it on the Map
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Near Me – Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Trivia
What’s the difference between hospice care and palliative care?
While both hospice care and palliative care are deeply intertwined, these two areas of care are not one in the same. What’s the major difference between hospice care and palliative care? Consider this as you search hospice and palliative medicine specialist near me. Simply put, palliative care is centered on whole person care and relieving the symptoms of a disease or disorder, whether or not that condition can be cured. Hospice is a very specific type of palliative care that is generally given to individuals who likely have less than six months left to live. Hospice care is always palliative care, but not all palliative care always ends up with hospice care. This is because some serious illnesses and conditions can be treated and individuals can make a full recovery. Hospice is reserved for those who are at the end of life and need a level of care that seeks to reduce their suffering and improve their quality of life up until the very end.
Who provides palliative care?
As you search hospice and palliative medicine specialist near me, you’ll learn that all palliative care is provided by a highly trained interdisciplinary team that most often includes a doctor who is specializes in the field of palliative medicine. In addition, the team will include a qualified nurse, a pharmacist, a dietatition, social worker, and a team of compassionate volunteers. Together, this team seeks to provide patients who are suffering with a better day to day existence and a level of care that is often not provided in a traditional hospital setting. While a general doctor will focus on your entire health picture or treating your disease or condition, a palliative doctor concentrates on both preventing and alleviating suffering. The name of the game is improving the overall quality of life, giving a patient dignity, and aiding loved ones in coping with the mounting stress that can often accompany a major illness. “Care” is a word that can easily be used to describe what a palliative care team does. They offer compassion at a time when a patient may be losing hope.
Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Near Me – Hospice and Palliative Medicine Specialist Facts
Who is eligible for hospice care?
Making the choice to put a loved one in hospice can be one of the most difficult decisions a person will ever make. Who exactly is eligible for hospice care? Consider this as you search hospice and palliative medicine specialist near me. An individual is eligible for hospice care if they are deemed as having six months or less left to live. Some insurers or Medicaid agencies may cover hospice care if the individual also has a year left to live, though this is not always the case. Unfortunately, most people do not receive or become candidates for hospice care until the final weeks or days of life. Due to insurance, many individuals miss out on several months of helpful care and an improved quality of life. An individual may leave or enter hospice care at their own will or at the wishes of a loved one should they want to spend their days in the comfort of their own home. Should medical care become too much for your family or care team, hospice care will still be an option should you or a loved one choose to reenter.
Is palliative care “giving up?”
Sometimes it can be hard for an individual to commit to palliative or hospice care as it seems like they might be “giving up” on getting better or letting their condition win. In reality, palliative care is not “giving up.” In fact, it’s fighting for a better quality of life. As you search hospice and palliative medicine specialist near me, consider how palliative care is actually one of the bravest things an individual can commit to doing. The end goal of palliative care might not be to cure your condition but it is to make you comfortable and help you achieve a better quality of life. You can have palliative care while you are undergoing treatments that may cure or reverse your illness, but that will not be up to your palliative care team. Instead, a traditional team of doctors will take the helm in regards to your recovery. Palliative care is very useful in hoping an individual with a serious illness to cope with aggressive treatments by helping them to get their pain and symptoms under control as they fight the disease and strive for wellness. If that’s not giving life your all, then nothing is!