The Benefits of In-Home Palliative Care

Caring for a chronically ill loved one can be both physically and emotionally taxing, not only for the primary caregiver but also for the entire household. It can be rather distressing to witness someone you hold dear experience pain, discomfort, deteriorating health, disability, or fighting a losing battle against a terminal disease. What’s worse is that you have little to no control over it, except for extending support and comfort in such tough times.

However, as much as someone is struggling, all they crave is a life of dignity and respect. They want to be treated with love without all the pitiful glances or feeling like a liability. For this reason, palliative care has emerged as an up-and-coming segment of medical caregiving, either in a professional setting or even at home. Let’s take a look at the fundamentals of palliative care and how in-home palliative care can be beneficial.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is a specialized area of medicine and healthcare that targets people with serious illnesses such as cancer, dementia, cardiovascular diseases, etc. It aims to offer holistic relief from the stress or symptoms of the illness, which may hamper the overall quality of life. Rather than focusing on the patient’s prognosis, palliative care accounts for their needs that may or may not be linked to their medical condition.

Such supplementary therapy is facilitated by a team of specially trained doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who offer an additional layer of comfort and support.

What Are the Benefits of In-Home Palliative Care?

Now that you have an idea of what palliative care is, let’s move on to the benefits of seeking such facilities at home. The following are some notable advantages of in-home palliative care:

Puts the Patient First

If you are living with a chronic illness, you will know that there comes a point in life when others perceive it to be a part of who you are—so much so that the lines start to blur. Being treated as such can be rather exasperating, especially when there is already so much going on around you. Fortunately, palliative care makes you feel seen (and heard). It accounts for what you want as an individual rather than as a patient. Having such an environment right at home can be a breath of fresh air.

Improves Quality of Life

The primary objective of palliative care is to improve your quality of life. With this in mind, what could be a better place to start implementing it than at home? If you can live a pain-free and stress-free life in your home, everything else simply works out as an extension of the same.

Further, while those dealing with the illness are the primary focus of palliative care, it also extends to their caregivers, family, and friends as well. By offering them a mechanism to cope, palliative care lays the groundwork for a positive household environment, which will further enhance your living conditions!

Makes Palliative Care Accessible

According to the WHO, only 14% of people who require palliative care currently receive it! Such dismal numbers can be due to various reasons, ranging from a lack of knowledge on this subject to the unavailability of resources. Either way, there are missing links in its supply chain.

In this backdrop, in-home palliative care makes it more accessible by offering last-mile delivery. When you have nurses and doctors coming to you, who wouldn’t want to get the treatment to make life easier?

Reduces Hospital Visits

Speaking of having nurses and doctors come to your home, the last few years have made it evident that visiting a hospital may not be as safe as it once was. It is particularly true in the case of those requiring palliative care, as you may already be immunocompromised.

Plus, having to travel to the hospital may not be as easy as it may sound. As such, it is best to avoid going to hospitals and get the care you need in the comfort of your home. Spare yourself the headache. The sheer difference between receiving treatment in a familiar and comfortable environment versus somewhere else can make you more responsive to it.

May Be Lifesaving

While chronic and terminal illnesses are overwhelming as they are, they are also accompanied by mental health conditions like depression. Given the interplay of mental health with mortality, in-home palliative care could be a push toward higher survival rate.

At the same time, it can offer a judgment-free safe space for your family and caregiver. Receiving such critical support at home could further enhance your quality of life and make palliative care worthwhile for you and those around you.

Palliative care requires specially trained multi-disciplinary health experts to offer comfort, support, and relief to those suffering. If you are looking for in-home palliative care services, contact Premier Home Services for any kind of service to restore and improve your overall health and function. Our award-winning, dedicated team of caregivers is a leading provider of care management, rehabilitation therapies, and supportive care at home. Contact 903-753-2273 or click here for more details.