What Is Palliative Medicine?
Palliative medicine is medical care for people living with serious or life-limiting illness. Its focus is on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life for as long as care is needed.
It is often confused with end-of-life care, but the two are not the same. Palliative support can begin at the time of diagnosis and continue alongside treatment aimed at controlling the illness, such as chemotherapy or dialysis. Some patients receive palliative care for years.
Who Can Benefit From Palliative Care?
Palliative care may help if you or someone close to you is living with a condition such as advanced cancer, heart failure, chronic lung or kidney disease, or a progressive neurological illness. It is also appropriate when symptoms are affecting daily comfort, even if the illness itself is stable.
You do not need to wait for a crisis to ask about it. Many people find that earlier support makes later decisions easier to face.
Which Symptoms Can Be Addressed?
Serious illness can affect the body and mind in many ways. The symptoms Dr Hoosain commonly helps patients manage include:
- Ongoing or difficult-to-control pain
- Breathlessness and other breathing difficulties
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Disturbed sleep
- Anxiety and emotional distress
Each symptom is assessed on its own terms. Pain that worsens at night, for example, may need a different approach than pain that flares with movement.
What Happens During A Palliative Consultation?
A first consultation is usually longer than a standard GP visit. Dr Hoosain will ask about your diagnosis and the treatment you have had so far. She will also want to understand your circumstances at home, including who is there with you and how you are managing from day to day.
From there, you will work out a plan for managing your symptoms together. This includes practical guidance for the days between appointments, so you know what to do if something changes.
How Are Families Involved?
Serious illness affects the whole household. With your permission, family members or carers are welcome to join consultations. Dr Hoosain can explain what symptoms mean and which changes to watch for, which often makes caring at home feel more manageable. She spent four years at St Luke's Hospice in Cape Town, where conversations with families were a regular part of the work.
What Is Advance Care Planning?
Advance care planning is a conversation about the care you would want if your health changed and you were less able to speak for yourself. It may cover where you would prefer to be cared for and the treatments you would or would not want. Many people also use it to name someone they trust to speak on their behalf.
These conversations are rarely easy, and they do not need to happen all at once. Dr Hoosain can guide you through them at a pace that feels manageable, and your wishes can be written down and shared with the people who need to know them.
Can Palliative Care Work Alongside Other Treatment?
Palliative medicine is designed to sit alongside the care you receive from your oncologist, cardiologist or other specialists. Dr Hoosain communicates with your treating doctors so that symptom management fits with the rest of your plan. Because she also practises as a family physician, everyday health concerns can be looked after in the same place.
When Should You Ask About Palliative Care?
There is no single right moment. Some people ask soon after a difficult diagnosis. Others come when symptoms begin to interfere with sleep or eating, or when a family member is finding it hard to cope. If you are wondering whether it is time, that alone is a good reason to book a conversation.
What Can Palliative Care Achieve?
Palliative care cannot always remove symptoms completely, and it does not change the course of the underlying illness. What it aims to do is make symptoms more manageable and give you clearer information for the decisions ahead. Plans are reviewed regularly, because needs tend to change over time.
If you have questions before booking, the frequently asked questions page may help.