Articles & Stories

Today, April 27, 2016, the Patient Quality of Life Coalition is hosting its very first Virtual Lobby Day. The goal of #PQLCLobbyDay, is to raise the visibility of the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (PCHETA) in Congress and generate excitement among its supporters.

PCHETA, also known as H.R. 3119 in the House, and S. 2748 in the Senate, would make necessary policy changes to expand access to palliative care for patients with serious illness. These changes include directing funds to educate the public and providers about palliative care; expanding the federal research investment in palliative care; and expanding workforce training and development opportunities to increase the number of doctors, nurses, social workers and other health professionals trained in palliative care. … Read More

Do you, or someone you love, have a serious illness such as cancer, heart failure, lung disease or kidney failure? If so, you may be sick of trips to the emergency room and unwanted hospital stays to treat pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms. Palliative care can help you stay safely at home. … Read More

Are you or a loved one living with a serious illness? Maybe you’re a caregiver or family member to a person living with a serious illness. Dealing with a serious illness, whether you’re the patient or a family member, can be difficult. That’s why you need palliative care. … Read More

The new Dartmouth Atlas report, Our Parents, Ourselves: Health Care for an Aging Population, funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation, offers a comprehensive look at Medicare data to show us how health care experiences vary across the United States for older adults. … Read More

In this episode, we hear from Marion Case and his wife Tina. Marion has been living with Multiple Myeloma for the past two years. The pain and symptoms from both his illness and its treatment have greatly affected his quality of life but since receiving palliative care, his pain and symptoms are under control.  … Read More

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Palliative care is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

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In this episode of our ‘Quality Life’ series, we hear from Debbie, a hair dresser, a business owner and a proud grandmother diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Debbie was in a great amount of pain while receiving treatment for her illness. Then she found palliative care … Read More

If you have a serious illness, your medical treatments can sometimes make you feel worse. You may also feel that your pain, your symptoms and your distress are all part of being sick. It doesn’t have to be that way. Palliative care can help. … Read More

In this episode of our A Quality Life series, we hear from Brandi Hanna, a loving mother of four whose quality of life deteriorated after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Brandi shares how palliative care not only managed her symptoms, but treated her as a whole person. … Read More

The job of caregiver, though usually unpaid, is one of the most complex and challenging roles anyone will undertake. There is no how-to manual that can adequately coach people on what it takes to keep a loved one safe and well once he or she has serious medical problems.

Whether you have a loved one living with you full-time or you manage his/her care from 3,000 miles away, chances are you will be called at some point to act as that person’s advocate. So, along with the responsibilities that many of the more than 35 million caregivers in this country face on a daily basis, such as feeding, cooking, bathing or overseeing hired help, you will also need to be a voice for that person if he/she isn’t able to ask crucial questions or find important information. … Read More