As we age and realize the quality of our lives is as important as the quantity of days left, we often shift our goals and focus on what’s really important. A similar shift can also be present when it comes to health care. Rather than aggressively pursuing every option and test, we can shift to an approach that prioritizes quality over quantity, and comfort and pain relief, rather than intervention overload. That is the domain of palliative care and hospice care. The problem is, not many patients really understand hospice and palliative care, and are under the impression that these systems of care are only to be used during the last few days of life. Nothing could be further from the truth. The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine has created a new website, PalliativeDoctors.org, to help patients and families better understand the benefits and value of palliative care, or turning to hospice care, while still enjoying life and engaging in meaningful activity. So bookmark this valuable resource, and find out more Here.
