There are many ways patients can be treated in the health care field. The type of care they receive however will solely depend upon each individual situation. In terms of acute care, the focus is promoting, restoring and maintaining health. Palliative care focuses more on comfort measures to provide a quality of life to the patient and family. These two types of treatment are both important but have different goals for care. Acute care will aim towards a cure whereas palliative care is no longer trying to cure but provide quality of life to those with a chronic illness such as cancer
Acute care is time-sensitive for healthier outcomes and is encompassed by emergent/urgent care, short-term stabilization and critical care and is typically seen…show more content… The goal is to keep these patients comfortable and as active as possible until death. Not to be confused with hospice care, this involves end of life care for those who have a prognosis of less than six months to live. Palliative care can be given in a variety of settings, such as, the hospital, long-term care, and in the home. When a cure is no longer feasible, palliative care turns the focus on pain relief, emotional support and maintaining quality of life. Relieving symptoms can be accomplished by pain management, surgery, massage, guided imagery and/or heat and cold therapies. Emotional support will be related to the person’s disease process and how it is affecting them and the people around them. The family will also receive emotional support through the patient’s illness and during their bereavement. Palliative care can be long term which allows the treatment team to build a solid report with the patient, in turn aiding in a more tailored plan of care for each individual. An individual who comes into the hospital with an exacerbation of their chronic disease may be treated with palliative care in an acute care