Dignity and support through difficult times becomes so important when a loved one is faced with a major medical issue, which can throw both their life and their family’s life into a tailspin. Sometimes, with very little notice or information, people are forced to take in massive amounts of information about a medical condition as well as determine, in conjunction with their physician, the appropriate steps to cure or manage it. But there is another side of a diagnosis or chronic medical condition that isn’t always taken into consideration.
Along with the direct medical concerns of the illness, patients deal with many other issues such as lack of sleep, financial stress, managing multiple medications, pain, depression, and the anxiety of how it will impact their life, leaving them and their family feeling out of control and overwhelmed.
While their primary doctor is going to be focused on the illness itself, there is a medical specialty that can help with all the other factors that comes with it: palliative care. Palliative care is a critical part of a better patient experience, but most people aren’t aware of it or don’t understand what it is.
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