Palliative Care

There are two broad categories of medication used in palliative care — opioids and adjuvant analgesics. Opioids are used to dull pain throughout the body, while adjuvant analgesics target specific types of pain, often by fighting inflammation.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body. Acupuncture is used mainly to relieve discomfort associated with a variety of diseases and conditions.

Palliative care is stressful for everyone — patients, families, and caregivers. Stress reduction techniques can help reduce anxiety while also helping cope with emotions such as fear and anger. Stress reduction techniques include deep breathing, walks (when applicable), hypnosis, journaling, painting, and more.

Surrounding yourself with people who are going through similar life events can help provide support and reassurance. 

Spiritual therapy is a form of counseling that attempts to treat a person's soul as well as mind and body by accessing individual belief systems and using that faith to explore areas of conflict in life.

Advance directives explain your medical wishes when you are unable to, including:

• The goals of medical treatment, such as when certain medicines should be used
• Where you want to have treatment, such as in hospice or in a hospital
• Which treatments do you do or don’t want, such as dialysis, breathing machines, and tube feeding
• If you want your providers to resuscitate you (revive you from unconsciousness) if your heartbeat or breathing stops
• If you want your organs or tissue to be donated