We’ve known it. The study’s show it. Legislation affirms it. The media is sharing it. Every family can benefit from it.
The New York Times, NPR and local media across America have been reporting the study findings in the New England Journal of Medicine that “It,” “Palliative Care” not only helps people live better, it helps them live longer.
Why? People receiving palliative care feel better. Why do they feel better? Their pain is controlled, their symptoms are managed, their fears are addressed, and their burdens are relieved. This immensely eases the experience of living with an advanced illness (for the whole family) and actually promotes the desire to live and live more fully. Palliative care also fosters the opportunity to discuss and make plans for their own futures such as advanced directives and other important life planning decisions.
I offer you the following quote from a daughter of one of our patients, “We were stunned when hospice was presented as an option, but ultimately Mom made the decision herself saying, “We can give it a try. If I don’t like it, we don’t have to keep them.” The consistent monitoring and continuity of care provided by hospice extended her life, without a doubt.”
There has been extensive research on this phenomenon for the past 10-15 years. I wrote the article “Hospice Patients Live Longer – Live Better” for The Daily Star in 2004 quoting research that not only showed that the patients lived longer but also that their spouses lived longer!
This recent study looked at lung cancer patients who along with their cancer treatment received care from a palliative care team. These patients had significantly less depression, had better quality of life, were less likely to receive aggressive end-of-life care, involved Hospice earlier, were more likely to remain at home and lived nearly 3 months longer than those patients who did not receive palliative care.
For the past 10 years we have been providing various levels of palliative/hospice services to thousands of families seeking quality of life.
Recently we have formed a partnership with At Home Care to provide a Palliative Care Pathway which our Certified Palliative Care Nurse, Nurse Practitioner or Social Worker will visit their patients for a palliative care consultation/symptom management assistance. We have also collaborated with the Bassett Healthcare Network to establish an inpatient palliative care team to be launched in the near future.
More and more people are choosing palliative/hospice services. Nearly half of our patients live longer than their six month prognosis in robust fashion. Why? They began receiving palliative/hospice services much earlier in their illness. We have always believed that patients should not be asked to give up anything when they seek palliative/hospice services. Palliative/hospice care is about the abundant services you are getting, not about what you are giving up.
Next time you hear that a friend, neighbor or family member has a serious, progressive illness, do them the good deed of mentioning “It” to them.
