Neurológia pre prax 2/2020

Neuropalliative care

Fifty years ago started the hospice movement having revolutionized end-of-life care by easing symptom burden, by improving the quality of life, and by not ‘giving up’ on dying patients. Palliative care is a philosophy of care for patients that was born with the hospice movement but is not limited to patients nearing the end of life: Instead, palliative care is appropriate at any age, stage of illness, or prognosis and focuses on improving communication about goals of care and maximizing comfort and quality of life. In neurologic diseases palliative care accompanies patients on a journey that can sometimes last years and even decades, with often-increasing symptom burden and disability, changing social roles, loss of personhood and prognostic uncertainty.

Keywords: palliative care, goals of care, quality of life, symptom management