Articles & Stories

Valerie Wallace is a young, vibrant, upbeat mother of three and wife to a husband she adores. So when she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2013, she was determined to fight. She underwent colon surgery and a round of chemotherapy. … Read More

Millions of Americans are dealing with a serious illness, such as cancer, heart failure or lung disease, whether as a patient or a caregiver. If you’re one of them, 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

The onset of Alzheimer’s and other dementias is slow and silent. As a result it is often unnoticed and undiagnosed until small memory or personality changes begin to increase in regularity and intensity. … Read More

In this episode of our Quality Life series, we hear from Angela James, a 37-year old woman living with a multitude of illnesses, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. As her symptoms worsened, her quality of life began to deteriorate, until she was referred to palliative care. … Read More

Angela James has been working since she was 15 years old. No stranger to hard work, she thrived at her job and she was in the prime of her life. She worked her way up the corporate ladder to a rewarding position as an accountant. She built a brand new house and was engaged to be married.

But things are different for Angela now. Angela has been living with a multitude of autoimmune disorders, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and Raynaud’s phenomenon. … Read More

Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

But many Americans still aren’t clear on what palliative care really is or how it can benefit them. Here are four things you may not know about palliative care and how it can help patients and families live well with serious illness: … Read More

In this episode of our Quality Life series, we hear from Mary Tibbats, caregiver to her 88 year-old mother Mary Nolan, who has diabetes. After a rehab visit at the hospital to improve her blood flow, she went into congestive heart failure. Mary Tibbats shares how palliative care not only helped coordinate her mother’s care and improve her quality of life, but provided support to Mary as she dealt with caregiver burnout. … Read More

Despite the highest per person spending on health care in the world, Americans report a rushed, fragmented and confusing experience with the health care system. Studies clearly show that symptoms are often under treated, and communication between physicians and patients about what is happening and what it means, is virtually nonexistent. Family caregivers struggle to make sense of their loved ones’ needs and how best to meet them. … Read More

Mary Tibbats knows firsthand what it’s like to care for an aging parent. She is the primary caregiver of Mary Nolan, her 88 year-old mother who has diabetes, but enjoyed an active lifestyle.

“Mom was 88 years old, totally and completely independent, except she didn’t drive any longer but she lived on her own,” Mary said. “She paid her own bills, ordered her own medication, sorted her medication every week, cooked her own food, went out and played Bingo, crocheted, did everything, totally independent, got up and around.” … Read More

If you have a serious illness, the bills for doctors, drugs and hospital visits can pile up quickly. For many families, money worries are sadly a big part of being sick in America.

Palliative care can help.

… Read More