Palliative care is a type of medical care that focuses on the comfort of a patient and their family when dealing with a terminal disease.

Palliative care increases quality of life and eases suffering.

A palliative care team includes of physicians, nurses, care aids, social workers, hospice chaplains, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, spiritual leaders, volunteer caregivers, and, of course, the patient’s family.

The large majority of palliative care patients have cancer, but patients with other terminal illnesses such as AIDS, multiple sclerosis, progressive pulmonary disorders, and renal disease can also benefit from a palliative approach.

The basic goals of palliative care are to decrease the patient’s physical symptoms, provide personal care and home support if the patient is being treated in their home, address the emotional or spiritual concerns of the patient, and provide resources and support for their families.

More specifically, palliative care does the following:

• Intends to neither hasten nor postpone death.
• Enhances the quality of life.
• Provides relief from pain and other symptoms.
• Affirms life and regards dying as a normal process.
• Offers support to help patients live as actively as possible.

Caregivers or care aids are essential to the palliative care system, particularly when the patient is being treated at home. These caregivers provide home support by means of housekeeping, meal preparation and personal care, and also provide companionship for the patients, which is crucial for increasing quality of life.

Karp Home Care offers compassionate and professional palliative care for clients in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Richmond, Abbotsford, and North Vancouver.