Palliative care is derived from the word “palliate” which means “to allay or moderate.”
What Is Comfort Care?
Comfort care does not involve the treatment of an illness or disease.
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Comfort care may also include providing emotional or spiritual support.
In contrast, comfort care can be delivered even if the condition isn’t necessarily life-limiting.
With comfort care, insurance coverage can continue as long as the treatment is deemed medically necessary.
Comfort care is not limited to a specific medical condition (although coverage and benefits can vary).
Conditions for which comfort care may be needed include:
When Is It Time for Comfort Care?
The care plan is individualized and may be delivered alongside curative treatments likechemotherapyandradiation.
To this end, it’s important to do your research.
Start by doing a search of local providers using theonline locatoroffered by the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
you’re free to also speak with your health insurers to findin-networkproviders near you.
National Institute on Aging.Providing care and comfort at the end of life.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Hospice.
National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.Palliative care or hospice?
2017 Feb;130(2):113-114. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.08.046