Palliative care

Learning Objectives:

. Define palliative care.  

   . Compare and contrast the settings where palliative care and

     end of life care are provided.

  . Describe the principles and components of hospice care.

Palliative care is health care aimed at symptom management rather than curative treatment for diseases that no longer respond to treatment

Palliative care is focused on caring rather than curative treatments. Such as pain-control
and symptom-controlled environment with psychosocial support.

Palliative care is the framework for hospice care principles underlying hospice are as follows:

 - Death must be accepted.

 - The patient s total care is best managed by an intend team whose members communicate regularly with such client

 - Pain and other symptoms of terminal illness managed. 

 - The patient and family should be viewed as a sing care.

 - Home care of the dying is necessary.

 - Bereavement care must be provided to family member

 - Research and education should be ongoing.

Eligibility Criteria for Hospice Care

General

Serious, progressive illness

Limited life expectancy

Informed choice of palliative care over cure-focused treatment

Hospice-Specific

Presence of a family member or other caregiver continuously in the home when the patient is no longer able to safely care for him/herself (some hospices have created special services within their programs for patients who live alone, but this varies widely)

Medicare and Medicaid Hospice Benefits

Medicare Part A; Medical Assistance eligibility

Waiver of traditional Medicare/Medicaid benefits for the terminal illness

Life expectancy of 6 months or less

Physician certification of terminal illness

Care must be provided by a Medicare-certified hospice program