National Hospice and Palliative Care Month is a time to thank the care teams that make a difference in the lives of millions. But is also a time to focus on how to live with a diagnosis of a serious illness, the accompanying pain and symptoms and, if you are receiving end-of-life care, having the ability to focus on living as fully as possible.

Most people are familiar with hospice care – a focus on end-of-life comfort care for terminally ill individuals. Palliative care, however, is equally important and not limited to the end of a person’s life. Patients may receive palliative care if they have a diagnosis of any serious illness, whether their focus is solely on treatment and condition improvement, comfort only or balancing the two.

Palliative care provides relief from the stress and symptoms of a serious illness at any stage of that diagnosis. From medical needs and emotional burdens to social barriers and family dynamics, palliative care teams consider all aspects of a patient’s life.

Palliative care with a purpose

Palliative care provides relief from the stress and symptoms of a serious illness at any stage of a diagnosis. From medical needs and emotional burdens to social barriers and family dynamics, palliative care teams consider all aspects of a patient’s life.

Patients commonly receive palliative care for cardiac and respiratory conditions, cancer, diabetes, after a stroke or with dementia. Palliative clinicians work to support a patient’s goals for treatment and also focus on the symptoms that commonly accompany these illnesses, which are sometimes a result of the treatments themselves.

Pain and symptom management is most effective when the whole person is treated, not just physical needs. Medications are often used to manage symptoms and relieve physical discomfort. Non-medicated options and other interventions are often be paired with medications to help further aid in symptom relief.

Effective practices include:

• Physical or occupational therapy
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic care
• Stretching and yoga
• Stress reduction and relaxation techniques

“An essential focus of palliative care is relieving burdens, like pain and symptoms, so you can live as comfortably as possible. At Livio, we work with patients and their health care providers to create a tailored and coordinated plan to improve quality of life,” says Amy Klopp, clinical manager of palliative care at Livio Health, an organization providing tailored medical care to people managing chronic and serious illness.

 

Focusing on having more good days

“Our care teams can help patients identify their personal goals and ideal symptom control outcomes and support patients in pursuing those results, providing guidance and education along the way,” says Amy.

Having a palliative care team can help patients address symptoms such as anxiety, depression, pain, insomnia, fatigue, lack of appetite, constipation and nausea – all issues that can prevent people from living comfortably and doing the things they love.

Services from Livio Health are available to all Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicare Advantage, Fully Insured Group and Individual, and SecureBlue (MSHO) plan members throughout the state at no additional cost.

“A chronic or serious illness diagnosis can often feel like it is overtaking a person’s life. It’s important to work with a trusted medical team to discover the customized combination of treatments to best manage each unique condition,” says Amy. “Livio’s care teams are here to support patients and find strategies to maximize the number of good days they experience.”