LeadingAge New York Adviser Winter Vol. 1 | Page 44

New York State Laws
Promote Information and
Access to Palliative Care

Being diagnosed with a life-limiting, chronic or terminal condition can be a traumatic experience marked by
anxiety, uncertainty and confusion. Such a medical diagnosis has a major impact upon our lives; it can affect
us physically, emotionally and psychologically. It can leave us feeling overwhelmed and fearful about what the
future holds, how we will cope, what health care choices to make or how to help and support our loved ones. It
is hard to live with a serious or life- limiting illness. We may feel lonely, angry, scared or sad. We may feel that
our treatment is doing more harm than good. We may have pain or other disturbing symptoms. For individuals
and families who are faced with a serious diagnosis, palliative care can help you and your loved ones cope with
all of these things.
Palliative care services can be provided early in the cours e of illness, along with other therapies that are
intended to treat a person’s illness or condition, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. What palliative
care does is provide individuals and their families with an extra layer of care and increased access to specialized
teams of palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers and chaplains. The team supports both the patient
and the family every step of the way, by not only controlling pain and symptoms, but also by helping them to
understand treatment options, supporting them as they set goals of care and make decisions that match those
goals. Working with your doctor to provide an extra layer of support, the palliative care team provides:
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Time for communication
Expert management of pain and other symptoms
Help in navigating the healthcare system
Guidance with difficult and complex treatment choices
Emotional and spiritual support for you and your family
Legislative advances in the provision of
palliative care
In recent years, there has been a great deal of conversation
and discussion among health care professionals and our
State legislators about the benefit of providing palliative
care services to residents of New York State. Over the past
two years, two new laws have passed that not only affirm
palliative care as a valuable component of health care, but
also create greater access to palliative care for all New York
state residents. These new laws provide opportunities for
individuals to work with their own doctors or health care
providers to take control of their health care decisions by
providing them with information and counseling about
their palliative care options and access to palliative care
professionals and services, allowing patients to make
informed decisions about their treatment and care. The
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Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Winter 2015