You’re listening to WPSU’s Health Minute, a collaboration with Penn State’s College of Nursing.
The World Health Organization defines Palliative Care as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness.” It allows patients to continue to seek medical treatments while obtaining pain management, and physical, psychological and spiritual support.
Palliative care is an option for patients with cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney failure, dementia, HIV/AIDS, ALS, and other long-term diseases. Palliative patients do not have to have a terminal diagnosis to qualify for care.
If you or someone you know is struggling with managing a long-term illness, ask your primary care provider for more information, or contact the Pennsylvania Hospice and Palliative Care Network at pahospice.org.
Join us next week for WPSU’s Health Minute.
For all of our episodes, visit wpsu.org/healthminute.
I’m Cheraine Stanford, WPSU.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYfBdPr0e0&feature=youtu.be
