Governor Justice has proclaimed that November is Palliative Care Awareness Month. The majority of West Virginians do not know what palliative care is. Palliative care is very different from hospice. Whereas there is a special Medicare Hospice Benefit with strict requirements for eligibility for hospice, palliative care can be provided at any stage of a serious illness.
Palliative care can be provided in hospital, long term care or assisted living facilities and alongside home health services. The care is designed to support those with serious illness and their families. This care can be provided concurrent with curative treatment and helps with symptom control, care coordination and decision-making.
You can find out more at the Center for Palliative Care
Or about West Virginia’s community palliative care programs at Palliative Care
