Care at the end of life in the United States is in urgent need of repair. Too often patients die in unfamiliar surroundings, in emotional and physical pain. A relatively new concept in care giving, Palliative Care, has taken root in the healthcare community to deal with the issues at every level of existence.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is the combination of active and compassionate therapies intended to comfort and support individuals who are living with, and dying from, life-threatening illness by meeting their physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Palliative care may be combined with therapies aimed at reducing or curing illness, or it may be the total focus of care. The goal of palliative care is to achieve the best possible quality of life for patients and families experiencing life-limiting illness.

The Partnership for Palliative Care was formed in 2003 to embrace the philosophy of palliative care and explore applications in our local communities.

Palliative Care Awareness and Education

The Partnership for Palliative Care consists of a physician, a social worker experienced specifically in palliative care, Hospice, nurses and other interested parties. These professionals collaborate to help define how palliative care applies to our community.

Our goal is to assist with communication by providing discussions about end-of-life issues, curative care, advanced directives, legal and financial considerations, and ethical and family concerns.

At the same time, we hope to better educate patients and families regarding end-of-life care and the options available to them. Everyone has a right to their dignity, and we're working to ensure that this dignity is respected by family, friends, health care teams and other professionals.

The Healthcare Consortium has free copies of the booklet, Hard Choices for Loving People, available at our office. This booklet deals with issues which include CPR, Artificial Feeding, Comfort Care and more.

For information, call the Healthcare Consortium (518) 822-8820.

What everyone should know about filling out a Health Care Proxy.

Need a Health Care Proxy? Try this link to the New York State Department of Health (English).

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