When you've been diagnosed with a serious illness, or if you've had it for some time, knowing what support and care you want or need, and where to get it, can be confusing. Learning how to access services or where to look for information is important. Consider the following steps when you'd like to access palliative and end-of-life care services. The best place to start is to talk about your questions and wishes with your family and with your doctor and healthcare team.
Thinking about what care is right for me
If you think palliative and end-of-life care services could help, you don't need to wait for your doctor or a family member to bring it up. Talk to your family and healthcare team and let them know that you would like to have the palliative and end-of-life care team help you.
Deciding on how you want to be cared for and letting others know can help ease your mind and make your final days more peaceful. The decisions you make about your care is called advance care planning.
- Think about the kinds of treatment you want or don't want. Consider what is important to you. Look at
advance care planning and your
goals of care. Talk about your wishes with your doctor or healthcare team.
- Write down any questions you have about palliative and end-of-life care. Talk to your doctor about these at your next visit. Ask them to let you know what your options are and explain the risks and benefits of each.
Learning about the kinds of care I can get
Treatments aren't the only way to deal with a life-limiting illness. Palliative and end-of-life care helps you, along with your other treatments. This care helps you feel as comfortable as possible.
If you decide to stop treatment, palliative and end-of-life care can continue to help with symptoms and keeping you comfortable. There aren’t any right or wrong choices, you decide what is right for you. The palliative and end-of-life care team can work with you to find the supports you need.
Questions to talk about with my healthcare team
When you talk with your doctor or healthcare team, these questions can help start your conversation. As you talk about and understand your options your healthcare team may ask more questions to find out what's important to you.
If you decide to stop treatment, palliative and end-of-life care can continue to help with symptoms and keeping you comfortable. There aren’t any right or wrong choices, you decide what is right for you. The palliative and end-of-life care team can work with you to find the supports you need.
- What do you know about your illness and how your health is now?
- If your illness got worse, what would your goals be for your care and your quality of life?
- What are your fears for the future?
- You may need to make some difficult choices during your illness and care. Are there any trade-offs or compromises you'd be willing to make such as being sleepy with less pain, or more alert with a bit of pain?
- What would a good day be like for you?
Deciding what is best for me
Once you decide what is best for your care now, remember that you can change what you’ve said about your wishes anytime your condition changes or your goals or values change.
Talk and record
- Talk to your family and tell them what you want for your care. Keep talking with them and your healthcare team about what you want and need as your condition changes or if you change your mind so they can help carry out your wishes.
- You can also write down your wishes so that everyone knows them in case you can’t speak for yourself. In Alberta this is called a
Personal Directive. It is recommended that you keep a copy of your personal directive in a
Green Sleeve, on or near your fridge.
As you’re making your decision and talking to your family and healthcare team, ask to talk to the Palliative and End-of-Life Care Team. They will contact you and discuss your care needs to help you get the services you need. You have many options for palliative and end-of-life care.
