This shows me how much family caregivers can be left out of the loop, uneducated about what is truly available for their loved one.
I admit, I thought palliative care was the same as hospice. It's not.
"Palliative care’s contribution to well-being comes in part from reductions in unnecessary hospital admissions or emergency department visits due to better symptom management, along with reduced spending due to better care coordination.
Generations of physicians have been trained to expertly diagnose and treat disease but don’t have the skills to treat the physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering that accompanies serious illness. Medicare needs to incentivize physicians and financially reward health care institutions for providing high-quality palliative care." (https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/23/palliative-care-works-so-why-is-it-rarely-used-follow-the-money/?mc_cid=028d5027cd&mc_eid=5c6a01e62a)
Palliative care treats the whole patient - which means educating and including the caregiver in the care & treatment plan. Caregivers are the folks present on a daily basis, enacting treatment plans and ensuring medication adherence. Why do they still have no respected place in the ecosystem? Why do caregivers still feel invisible?
