10 things to know about palliative care

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a9PTpk465A November Is Palliative Care Awareness Month and Experts Debunk Common Myths Palliative care, a specialized, multidisciplinary team approach to caring for seriously ill people and their families, is often reduced to end-of-life care. This misconception has led to palliative care involvement being introduced late in an illness, when its interventions are no longer beneficial or no longer desired by the patient. In a recent article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic physicians Elise Carey, M.D., and Jacob Stand, M.D., along with Mihir Kamdar, M.D., from Massachusetts General Hospital, shared 10 Things Palliative Care Clinicians Wished Everyone Knew About Palliative Care. Some examples:

• Palliative care is appropriate at any stage of serious illness.
• Palliative care can help address the emotional impact of serious illness on a patient and their families. 
• Palliative care teams assist in complex communication interactions surrounding a serious illness.
• Palliative care enhances health care value.