We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Medicine

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are the Benefits of Palliative Care?

By Nicole Etolen
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,421
Share

Palliative care, or care designed to minimize a patient’s suffering related to a chronic or incurable disease, can be very beneficial to patients and their loved ones. For patients, this type of care increases their level of comfort and, in turn, their quality of life. When patients are in less pain, they are able to spend more time with their friends and family, which allows loved ones to have a better chance to receive emotional closure before the patient succumbs to their illness.

Keeping the patient as comfortable and pain-free as possible is the primary goal of palliative care. Achieving this may consist of a combination of medications and other therapeutic practices, such as massage therapy. For those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other ailments that affect respiration, oxygen treatments and breathing exercises can help relieve the discomfort caused by an inability to breathe properly. Pain management may also involve mental activities designed to distract the mind or relax the body.

Although palliative care is not used to treat disease — and does not attempt to cure disease — it is often provided in conjunction with particularly uncomfortable treatments, such as chemotherapy. When patients experience less suffering related to their treatment, they are more likely to follow through with the regimen. For this reason, palliative care may have the added benefit of extending the patient’s life expectancy.

For families and other loved ones of patients, palliative care can help give them more quality time to spend together before saying goodbye. One of the most difficult parts of watching a loved one go through a fatal illness is seeing them in pain. When pain is reduced or entirely removed from the equation, patients are able to better enjoy the amount of time they have left, and in turn, their loved ones can take that time to make happy new memories that they can hold onto after the patients pass away.

In addition to increasing physical comfort, palliative care also focuses on the psychological and spiritual well-being of patients. Those who are nearing the end of their lives, especially when the end has been brought on unexpectedly through disease, often experience a wide range of emotions. These can range from extreme anger to crippling depression. Patients with specific religious preferences may receive counseling from religious leaders, while others may talk to a specialized grief counselor. Psychological counseling is often also available to patients’ family and friends, both to address their own grief and help them learn how to better help their loved ones through this difficult time.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-are-the-benefits-of-palliative-care.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.