National Hospice and Palliative Care Org. · Home Care New Jersey · New Jersey Palliative Care Providers
Source: Home Care NJ.org
Palliative Care is a healthcare approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with chronic illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
Hospice is a type of palliative care which is specialized for those facing life-limiting illnesses. Hospice is not a place, but rather a concept and insurance benefit. Hospice care concentrates on promotion of quality of life by managing symptoms so that the patient may live as comfortable as possible and make the most of the time that remains. A team of hospice experts works to manage symptoms and provide comfort when a cure is no longer possible.
All hospices provide palliative care, but not all palliative care is hospice care. Simply put, Hospice care is reserved for those with life-limiting prognosis of less than months (as determined by a patient’s physician and hospice physician). Palliative Care can be provided at any stage of chronic illness.
Making choices surrounding healthcare circumstances can be uncomfortable for all those involved. Complicating the difficulty are situations where loved ones are faced with making difficult healthcare decisions without knowing the wishes of those affected. Fortunately there are ways to communicate your end-of-life wishes to those who are likely to make healthcare decisions for you.
Advance Directives inform your family, loved ones, doctors, hospital, and any other health professional about the types of treatments you desire and those you do not. A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care names the person you want to make treatment decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to make these decisions for yourself, commonly referred to as a “surrogate” or “proxy.” And a Living Will is a separate document that outlines for your surrogate, doctor, hospital, and other healthcare professionals what types of medical treatment you agree to and treatment you wouldn’t want.