palliative care information sheet

Palliative care is a special kind of health care for individuals and families who are living with a life-threatening illness, usually at an advanced stage.

The goal of palliative care is to provide the best quality of life for the critically or terminally ill by ensuring their comfort and dignity.

Many cancer patients receive palliative care, as do others coping with advanced heart, respiratory and kidney disease, Alzheimer Disease, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, etc.

Palliative care is often provided in people's homes through home care programs. These programs offer professional nursing care and a variety of home support services.

Being at home allows people to remain close to their families and live as normally as possible. Some people feel that when they are at home they have more freedom to make choices about their care.

Palliative care is a family concern. A private nurse can help a patient progress comfortably through each successive stage of care at home, while helping family members adjust to this difficult period of transition. This Personal Care Manager (PCM) is a qualified Registered Nurse who usually becomes a palliative patient's primary confidant. A PCM can offer an unconditional comfort zone of health and communication that comes with complete acceptance of the patient's condition - whether it is ALS, Cancer, Alzheimer's or any other life-threatening illness.

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