‘Fundamental for all patients’: Exploring the benefits of palliative care for stroke survivors
Palliative care is known to help stroke survivors manage the long-term physical, mental and emotional challenges associated with recovery. It is consistently underutilized, however, prompting the American Heart Association (AHA) to share a new scientific statement focused on both its benefits and ways it can improve in the years ahead.
The document is available in full in Stroke, a journal distributed by both the AHA and American Stroke Association.[1]
“Stroke is often thought of as an event that is over quickly, but that is not true,” Claire J. Creutzfeldt, MD, chair of the statement’s writing group and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle, said in a statement. “Even though the majority of strokes are not immediately life-threatening, every stroke is life-altering, and every stroke requires high-quality, person-centered care. Integrating palliative care principles into stroke care is fundamental for all patients and at every stage after a stroke.”
The AHA estimates that approximately 800,000 strokes occur each year in the United States alone. Most people survive, due in part to key advances in patient care over the years, yet survivors often go forward without receiving the help they need.
This new scientific statement represents an update of AHA recommendations published back in 2014, building on that prior document while highlighting key updates from the last decade and detailing what healthcare providers can do to integrate palliative care principles into day-to-day patient care. The statement also examines healthcare inequities that remain and what care teams can do to help make them a thing of the past.
Another key takeaway is the fact that stroke survivors need many kinds of support—it’s not just about making sure they take their medications or tracking their symptoms; it’s also about providing both emotional and spiritual support in a way that considers each stroke survivor as their own person with their own wants and needs.
“It’s essential to recognize the impact of illness and disability on someone’s quality of life and understand that treatment decisions will vary from patient to patient, based on their values, their beliefs and their culture,” Creutzfeldt said. “An individualized and culturally sensitive approach to assessment and management is always best. Additionally, the palliative care needs of patients and their families or care partners after a stroke fluctuate over the course of their illness based on events, symptoms, changes in function and stage of the illness.”
The new scientific statement covers much more ground. Click here to read the full document.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.