PalliativeDoctors.org

PalliativeDoctors.org

PalliativeDoctors.org is the patient site of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. They do hope to provide as much information about hospice and palliative care as possible.

Palliative care is for people of any age, and at any stage in illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic, or life threatening.

Palliative care focuses on improving a patient’s quality of life by managing pain and other distressing symptoms of a serious illness. Palliative care should be provided along with other medical treatments.

Hospice is palliative care for patient in their last year of life. Hospice care can be provided in patients’ homes, hospice centers, hospitals, long-term care facilities, or wherever a patient resides.

Physicians who specialize in hospice and palliative medicine work with other doctors and healthcare professionals, listen to patients, and align their treatments with what’s important to them, and help families navigate the complex healthcare systems.