Alzheimer's Help

In my blog on Nov 9th, I discussed the end-stage dementia issues and raised the question ‘Is dementia a terminal illness?’  When faced with terminal illness, seniors and their caregivers often choose palliative care.  Today, I’ll discuss that further.

What is a terminal condition?

In most states, a terminal condition is a status that is incurable or irreversible, and in which death will occur within a short time.  There is not a precise, universally accepted definition of “a short time,” but in general it is considered to be less than one year.  When looking at the hospice benefit, it will define “short term” as six months or less.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care is a comprehensive approach to treating serious illness that focuses on the physical, psychological, spiritual, and existential needs of the patient.  Its goal is to achieve the best quality of life available to the patient by relieving suffering, by controlling pain and symptoms, and by enabling the patient to achieve maximum functional capacity.  Respect for the patient’s culture, beliefs, and values are essential components.  Palliative care is sometimes called comfort care or hospice type care.

For more information: go to Caring Connections which is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer and community engagement initiative to improve care at the end of life, supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Caregivers and seniors can find them online at www.caringinfo.org.

Caregivers and seniors can also visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) home page at http://www.nhpco.org/templates/1/homepage.cfm.