“Can my aunt with a chronic lung disease receive palliative care?”
My aunt has been diagnosed with a chronic lung disease a couple of years ago. Can she be treated with palliative care?
2 Answers
Yes
Absolutely. Any patient with a moderate to advanced chronic lung disease (COPD/Emphysema, Lung Cancer, Pulmonary Fibrosis, Interstitial Lung Disease, etc) should probably at least meet a Palliative Care physician. Sadly, most chronic lung diseases are progressive by nature and it is better to have these discussions while the patient is lucent and able to participate in decision making. Palliative Care is notably different than Hospice and should not be confused.
