By Allison Applebaum, PhD Celebrated every November, National Family Caregivers Month is a time to recognize and honor family caregivers across the country. Family caregivers are the everyday heroes of health care. They’re the ones—parents, partners, children, siblings, friends—who step up to help loved ones living with serious illness at home, often around the clock. […]
By 2025, 693,000 Americans will have several forms of advanced cancer. ByDr. Lindsey Ulin June 20, 2024, 5:05 AM This year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology — the world’s leading oncology organization — recommended palliative care for everyone with advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis and while receiving treatment. Click here to read full story…. […]
Are you or a loved one living with a serious illness like cancer, COPD, or heart failure? While you may be focused on managing the main symptoms of your illness, there’s another common one that is not often recognized or treated: fatigue. What is fatigue and what causes it? Fatigue isn’t just about feeling sleepy. It’s a complex […]
If you are facing a serious illness and have asked for palliative care, you may be wondering what the first meeting will be like. Here are five things you can expect. You will learn how the palliative care team can help Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on relief […]
Many people living with a serious illness miss out on getting palliative care because they don’t know about it and how it works. Palliative care is specialized medical care that treats the symptoms and stress of serious illness. Palliative care treats any serious illness, but the most common ones are cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, […]
If you or a loved one have received a breast cancer diagnosis, you know that it can be scary. You may have gone from thinking everything was okay to suddenly needing to decide about surgery and starting treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy. On top of this, you may experience symptoms such as pain, nausea, […]
Whether you have recently learned that your child is living with a serious illness (like cancer or a genetic disorder), or you received the diagnosis years ago, it is never easy to hear this news. Plus, running around from doctor appointment to doctor appointment is tiring and stressful. It can make you and your family […]
By Andy Esch, MD Living with Huntington’s disease can be extremely challenging. It’s a disease of the nervous system and brain, with symptoms that typically progress over time. These can include uncontrollable movements in your arms, legs, or body overall; painful muscle jerking; and difficulty swallowing or breathing. Huntington’s can also cause mental disturbances such […]
By Spencer Christensen, MD If you or a loved one are living with a serious illness like cancer, heart or lung disease, you may need help managing symptoms, improving your quality of life, or reducing stress. Palliative care can help. Whether receiving palliative care at a hospital, outpatient clinic, or at home (“home-based palliative care”), […]
By Andy Esch, MD If you care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, you may be struggling with the day-to-day challenges and maintaining quality of life. Dementia is a disease of the brain, which begins with memory loss, confusion, and difficulty making decisions, all of which worsen over time. This may mean […]