Palliative Care Is About Living Better — Not Giving Up

For many patients and families, the words palliative care can be difficult to hear.

Some assume it means treatment has stopped. Others confuse it with hospice care or believe it is only appropriate during the final stages of life.

But according to Dr. Sara Dost of Hartford HealthCare's Cancer Institute at St. Vincent's Medical Center, palliative care is about something much different: helping people feel better and live as fully as possible while facing a serious illness.

“I like to call palliative care supportive care,” Dr. Dost said. “We help patients deal with side effects, decision-making and the challenges that can come with a serious illness. Think of us as an extra layer of support.”

Palliative medicine is specialized care focused on improving quality of life. It can help manage symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea and shortness of breath while providing guidance and support throughout a serious illness.

Palliative care and hospice are not the same

One of the most common misunderstandings, Dr. Dost said, is the belief that palliative care and hospice care are the same thing.

“Palliative care is different than hospice care,” she said. “You can get palliative care at any stage of your illness. Hospice care is more based around end-of-life care.”

Consider someone undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. While treatment is focused on fighting the disease, the side effects and other challenges of a serious illness can still make everyday life more difficult.

That's where palliative care can make a difference.

The palliative care team works alongside a person's other clinicians to help address those challenges.

For those receiving care, that can mean greater comfort and support in making important decisions. For family members and caregivers, it can provide guidance, reassurance and a better understanding of what to expect.

The goal is not to replace treatment, but to complement it — helping people feel as well as possible while giving the family members and caregivers supporting them another source of guidance along the way.

Dr. Dost encourages individuals and families to ask about palliative care before symptoms or other challenges become overwhelming. In her experience, those who learn more about the specialized care it provides often have a similar reaction:

“I wish I had met you sooner.”

It's a reaction Dr. Dost hears from people who discover that palliative care can be part of their treatment journey much earlier than they realized.

Rather than signaling that treatment is ending, palliative care can provide an additional layer of support — helping people manage symptoms, navigate difficult decisions and focus on living as well as possible throughout their illness.

For those facing cancer and their loved ones, that support can make a meaningful difference at any stage of care.

Learn more about palliative care:

Hartford HealthCare Palliative Care

Learn more about cancer care at Hartford HealthCare's Cancer Institute:

Hartford HealthCare Cancer Care