Have you had experience with Palliative care?

My mom is on "Comfort Care" at her NH, as we decided not to opt for Hospice, although she is qualified for that. Hospice would bring with it extra aide hours and a Hospice nurse who would visit each dsy, while she would still receive the care the NH is currently providing. With Comfort Care, we agreed that she would not be transported to the hospital except in the case of a suspected fracture or head trauma (i.e., not for pneumonia, uti, which can be treated in house). Morphine was added to her med list in case her pleural effusion worsens and she begins to have breathlessness. It's very vague, and not anywhere near as clear cut as hospice. Palliative care and comfort care seem to me to be more about what they won't do.

Hi Sophe, I would be interested in knowing what palliative care did for you and your mom. If you have time to answer, if not that's ok too. Thanks

My understanding of Palliative care is that it can be as broad as you want it to be or as narrow, but it's primarily when you want your loved one to receive only treatments that control pain and painful symptoms.

For example, my LO still takes diabetes medication, because if her blood sugar gets too high, she could have neuropathy and amputations and they would cause her pain and further disability. She does not receive cancer screenings, except she did have a scan of a tumor on her belly, because we weren't sure if it was causing pain. It was benign and we are leaving it. She does not receive cancer screenings, since we would not be subjecting her to surgery or cancer treatments. I think you can receive Palliative Care and not opt for DNR, but I'm not sure about that.

I discussed Palliative care with both of her doctors and I honestly don't know if they really get it. She moved last year and I had to get a new geriatric doctor. I met with him before he was selected to discuss Palliative care and he seemed to get it. He treats a lot of seniors and many have advanced dementia, from what I have seen. I have still had to remind him that she doesn't need to receive every tests available to her and that we understand she is terminally ill. I know she now has ADVANCED dementia and she will not recover. Good luck if you are trying to find a Palliative Care provider.

Palliative Care is not hospice but is just care, with better focus on what a person wants and needs, in the face of an illness that is not going to be cured. They may help decide when hospice does make sense too, but the main focus is on making life better despite the condition that is limiting quality and/or quantity of life.

Even while receiving curative measures.

From what I have heard about palliative care you can still receive chemo and receive curative treatments. My friend who had her colon removed after many years of crohns was offered palliative care upon discharge from the hospital. I thought palliative care could be used

Should have said MEDICARE

In the US Hospice is usually funded by medicad. If it's decided by the persons doctor that there is 6 months or less of life expectancy the patient can be placed in a hospice program. The person will be given care to keep them comfortable and as pain free as possible but curative treatments such as chemo would no longer be administered.

Hospice can be at home, in a hospital, nursing home or dedicated hospice facility. It is a humane and dignified way to deal with the end of life.

Sophie, I think you need to ask them exactly what they mean by palliative care, as the term seem very subjective. For instance, in the USA 'Hospice' refers to a government funded program, in much of the rest of the world hospice and palliative care, as well as comfort care, are synonyms of each other.
My best guess would be that your mom would essentially be receiving care equivalent to hospice care but without qualifying for gov't funded hospice (i.e. an estimate of less than 6 months to live). So palliative care would essentially include symptom relief and non invasive healthcare with the aim of providing quality of life over healthcare aimed at prolonging life.