How does Palliative Care Help with Symptom Management?
Palliative care provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to managing the physical and emotional burdens of serious illness. At Cherish Hospice, the goal is to enhance quality of life by alleviating pain and stress rather than focusing solely on the disease.
Key ways palliative care helps with symptom management include:
- Personalized Medical Strategies: A Medical Director and multidisciplinary team (physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains) create individualized plans to address pain, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
- Continuous Monitoring: Registered nurses provide skilled care, including health assessments, medication management, and constant adjustment of comfort measures.
- 24/7 Dedicated Response: A specialized team is available around the clock to address urgent needs and provide hands-on care at any time.
- Complementary Therapies: Non-pharmacologic options are used to ease distress, such as Cherish Touch (therapeutic touch), Cherish Sounds (music therapy), aromatherapy, and pet therapy.
- Holistic Support: Dedicated social workers and chaplains address the spiritual and emotional suffering that can intensify physical symptoms.
- Integration with Active Treatment: Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatments like chemotherapy to manage treatment-related side effects such as nausea and fatigue, ensuring comfort is never delayed.
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