As I carefully explained that "Life Quality Institute provides palliative care education and outreach," I watched your eyes glaze over.  Faced with the familiar blank stare, I defined palliative care as the alignment of treatment with patient and family goals. I could see the words floating in the air as I expanded the definition with references to types of illness, interdisciplinary teams, and various types of pain and suffering (physical, emotional, and spiritual). Definitions are meaningless until connected to the lived experience.  I searched my mind to find something that would help you understand and appreciate the need for palliative care. The images and the story of caring for my mother immediately came to mind.

Our community has placed the responsibility of caring for the seriously ill on the physician and healthcare system. While caring for my mother with late-stage Alzheimer's disease, I learned that truly good care requires more. Good care necessitates strong integrated relationships between patients, families, informal caregivers and the healthcare professionals that enter into a patient's life.  Good healthcare for my mother involved: the pastor's prayers and the holding of her faith, the social worker cradling my fears while I made decisions a daughter should never have to make, her physician relieving the physical pain and carefully explaining the impact of my medical decisions,  the trusted nurse who calmed my anger while I ranted about the inequities of the disease, my siblings' hearts entwined with mine to share the grief, my neighbor who watched mom when I was fully exhausted, and colleagues interpreting medical records, arranging transportation, and sharing my workload during the first, second and third crisis. 

Yes, palliative care requires a robust interdisciplinary team.  While one member may hold the fear, another strengthens the faith. While one treats the pain, another relieves the exhaustion.  Aligning patient and family aspirations as they journey through a serious, life-changing illness is the purpose of palliative care. Exceptional palliative care requires exceptional medical care and community support systems that draw on existing relationships and avenues of trust.

Ninety-two percent of Americans want to be cared for and die in their homes. Through fully integrated palliative care we can transform this wish into reality. While palliative care may be an unfamiliar term, the picture of outstanding care is universal.

Through community outreach and educational programs, such as the fast-approaching Spring Conference, Life Quality Institute aims to increase the awareness of palliative care and the gifts it brings to caring for individuals with serious, life-changing illnesses.