Monday, November 23, 2015

Understanding Palliative Care

"Deadra's Story" a new video about the ways palliative care changed one woman’s life has been released as part of NHPCO's Moments of Life: Made Possible by Hospice campaign.

In May of 2014, Deadra Gladden was in the hospital, feeling hopeless, and in excruciating pain due to lupus, a disease she has been battling for over half her young life. Deadra’s doctors told her family it was time to call hospice. But after a consult with a nurse from Samaritan Healthcare and Hospice, a palliative care team was brought in instead. In the new video, viewers get a glimpse at how much Deadra’s life has improved because of palliative care.

Palliative care, sometimes referred to as “comfort care,” is a specialized approach to the treatment of patients with a serious or life-threatening illness. The goal of palliative care is to provide relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of serious illness. It is also designed to improve the quality of life of both the patient and the patient’s family.   Patients can continue to receive aggressive and curative kinds of treatment like chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis and surgery while receiving palliative care.

Learn more about palliative care on the Moments of Life website.

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