If you or a loved one is living with a serious illness, you might benefit from palliative care. A supplement to curative treatments, it can help patients and their families deal with the medical as well as emotional and practical difficulties resulting from severe illness. The compassionate staff of Lifetime Care, a home health care and hospice provider based in Rochester, NY, answers a few frequently asked questions regarding palliative care. Read on to find out if you or a loved one could benefit from this type of treatment. 

Palliative Care FAQ 

1. What Is It? 

Palliative care is specialized medical care for severely ill patients. In a palliative care program, an interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, and specialists works with your current physicians and caretakers to relieve you from the symptoms of your illness, as well as the emotional and psychological side effects, such as stress and depression. The team also provides support to caretakers and family members who are struggling as well. It can benefit people of any age and at any stage of a serious illness. 

2. Who Qualifies? 

Anyone with an advanced severe illness where the prognosis is greater than six months may be eligible. For example, in a hospital setting, a cancer patient with uncontrolled pain and nausea may be a candidate. In an at-home care or clinic setting, a home-bound dementia patient with chronic pain who has recently made several trips to the emergency room may also qualify. Candidates for palliative care may or may not also be eligible for hospice. 

3. What Are the Goals? 

Members of the care team work with your primary care doctor and specialists to develop an individualized plan to improve your quality of life. First, they work to relieve pain and other symptoms. Next, the team addresses your emotional and spiritual concerns, as well as those of caregivers and family members. They’ll also coordinate care between providers. 

4. Does Insurance Cover It? 

Like hospice care or other medical services, it is covered by most insurance policies. Medicare and Medicaid also cover it. If you’re concerned about the cost, a member of the multidisciplinary care team will help you determine payment options. 

To find out if palliative care is right for you, contact the passionate team at Lifetime Care. Serving Monroe, Wayne, Livingston, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Cayuga, or Schuyler, NY, counties, they provide comprehensive health services to patients who are elderly, disabled, or living with a severe illness. Call (585) 214-1000 or visit their website to learn more.