2024 National Hospice Palliative Care Week 2024 - Palliative Care Means Living Well: Let's Talk About it!

MONTREAL, May 5, 2024 /CNW/ - To mark National Hospice Palliative Care Week, the Quebec Coalition for Palliative Care Access (the Coalition) is proud to celebrate the positive impact of palliative care on the well-being of people with life-limiting illness.

Palliative care is concerned with much more than pain management at the end of life. It can be provided alongside curative treatments and beyond to address physical symptoms as well as emotional, social, and spiritual needs and ensure whole-person care to patients with serious illness. Palliative care focuses on the overall needs of patients and their loved ones.

"Based on evidence from the past three decades, it is now clear that patients with serious or life-threatening illness should have access to palliative care from diagnosis," said Dr. Justin Sanders, MD, MSc, FAAHPM, Director of Palliative Care McGill. "The sooner patients access palliative care, the greater the benefits. They feel more prepared and in control, and fare better physically, mentally, and spiritually."

"The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of patients and their loved ones by alleviating pain and suffering, anxiety, and sleep disturbances," added Dr. Olivia Nguyen, MD, MM, CCMF(SP), FCMF, FRCPC, President of the Quebec Society for Palliative Care Physicians.

As part of National Hospice Palliative Care Week, the Coalition invites the public to watch a series of videos featuring patients receiving palliative care and talking about its positive impact on their quality of life.

Palliative Care: Beyond Expectations
Palliative Care: Early Access is Key
Palliative Care: Means Living Well

To learn more about the benefits of palliative care, please visit the Coalition's page on the website of Association québécoise de soins palliatifs.

This initiative was made possible thanks to our partners: Alliance québécoise des maisons de soins palliatifs, Association québécoise de soins palliatifs, the Montreal Institute for Palliative Care, Pallium, and the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Coalition brings together a number of organizations with the mission to promote jointly an equal access to quality palliative care by representing the various aspects of palliative care in Quebec.

SOURCE Coalition du Québec pour l'accès aux soins palliatifs