If you or a loved one are facing a serious illness, you may have heard the term ‘palliative care‘. This form of elderly care can sometimes be confused with other sectors of care. At Stanfield Nursing Home, we provide rest-of-life care in nursing homes, focusing on comfort, dignity, and support during challenging times. To help clarify, we have put together a guide outlining what palliative care is, with some common questions answered.
What is palliative care and what does it involve?
Palliative care is also known as rest-of-life care or end-of-life care. It is a resource for anyone living with a serious illness. This can include heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, and many others.
If an illness makes it harder to work and move around and generally affects daily life, then it might be time to look at your options surrounding this type of care. It can be helpful at any stage of illness and is best provided soon after a person is diagnosed.
Common questions about palliative care
Where is palliative care provided?
For long-term diseases such as dementia, people may choose nursing home care. This generally involves more specialised care that caters to the individual and their needs.
Palliative care can be provided in many settings to suit you, such as:
- Your home
- Assisted living facility
- Nursing home
- Hospital
Will symptoms of my illness be relieved?
Yes, as much as possible. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness.
How long will I be cared for?
This depends on what care you need. Some people receive rest-of-life care for years, while others will receive care in their last weeks or days.
If you are looking for palliative care within nursing homes, make sure you discuss whether they have the capacity to care for your loved one long-term.
Are palliative care and hospice the same thing?
Not necessarily.
Palliative care can be part of hospice care, but it is just one part. Hospice care is for people who have learned that they are not likely to recover from their illness. It is about easing pain and helping families prepare for the end of life.
Rest-of-life care differs as it aims to help people continue living as comfortably as possible with long-term illnesses that are not yet considered life-threatening.
Can palliative care be done in a nursing home?
At Stanfield Nursing Home, we provide rest-of-life care and support for many nursing care requirements.
Our palliative care takes a person-centred approach. This means that those we care for are always at the centre of what we do. Care plans and activities surrounding daily life are tailored to each individual.
A key aspect of person-centred care is knowing each resident as a person; not someone we are employed to care for. As a result, we always meet the needs of the individual.
Though we know that a nursing home is second best to your home, our team of trained nurses aim to make Stanfield feel like a home away from home.
During the last days and hours of an individual’s life, we actively encourage loved ones to be present, if they wish to be. Often those supporting their loved ones will stay with us during this period.
Related: Why Stanfield Calls it Rest of Life Care, Not End of Life
Contacting Stanfield Nursing Home
If you want to learn more about choosing a nursing home that provides palliative care near you, please visit our website today. Alternatively, you can call 01905 420 459 to speak to a member of our helpful and friendly team. You can also check out our social media for daily updates.
If you have found this useful, you may wish to read our blog with 5 Tips for Positive Ageing.