Comfort Care
Comfort care, also called palliative care, provides some relief of symptoms to people whose diseases cannot be cured. For someone in the early stages of a life-threatening illness, the goal is curing the disease. When a cure is not possible, the focus is on quality of life and managing symptoms. Comfort care helps manage symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting. It also helps with pain control. The focus is on the care of the person, not just the disease. The goal is not to cure but to provide comfort and maintain the highest possible quality of life. Comfort care programs also try to help with mental health and spiritual needs.
People with life-threatening conditions may request comfort care. Specialists who provide comfort care may include:
- physicians
- nurses
- pharmacists
- psychiatrists
- social workers
- pastoral counselors
- dieticians
- physical and occupational therapists
- music and art therapists
- specially trained volunteers.
People who provide comfort care receive special training. Some professionals may be certified as palliative care specialists. They can begin focusing on comfort care whenever the patient and family choose. Some people want them to start when they first get sick. Some wait until comfort, support, and quality of life issues are major concerns.
Comfort care can be given in a wide range of places, such as a doctors' office, clinic, long-term care facility, home, or hospice facility. Many hospitals offer comfort care programs. Some people receiving comfort care may get treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to give some relief from symptoms and improve their quality of life.
For more information about comfort care, contact:
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Hospice help line: 1-800-658-8898 Web site: http://www.nhpco.org
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