Enfold - dedicated to improving the quality of life of those facing a serious medical diagnosis.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is specialised medical care, focused on improving the quality of life of patients and their families living with serious illness.
This extra layer of support is offered by a team of palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers and others, who work alongside a patient’s regular doctors.
It is appropriate at any time during a patient’s medical journey and can be offered at the same time as medical treatments such a chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Palliative care improves quality of life by:
- Controlling symptoms caused by the disease or the treatments such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, depression and anxiety.
- Spending extra time helping the patient understand the diagnosis and its implications as well as what to expect during this journey.
- Helping the patient make sure that the treatment plans offered, fit with their personal goals and values.
- Considering the social, emotional and spiritual needs of a patient and their family.
- Coordinating a patient’s care.
- Connecting patients and families to other useful resources.
Palliative care offers that extra layer of support that patients need in order to live their life to the fullest, in the face of a difficult medical diagnosis.