The symptoms, side-effects, and stresses related to a chronic or terminal illness take a considerable toll on patients and their families. Palliative medicine seeks to ease the physical effects associated with a serious sickness, including pain, nausea, depression, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. However, palliative medicine goes beyond just addressing physical maladies. It strives to improve the mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of patients and their families.
“In palliative medicine, we have an approach to pain that looks at the patient as a whole person.”
God created the human person as a body and soul composite, a unique combination of the material and the spiritual. Palliative care honors both elements of the human person: body and soul. Caregivers and medical professionals must always remember the immeasurable dignity of each individual while treating patients.
