What are the benefits of involving palliative care in heart failure treatment?
The involvement of palliative care services and use of palliative care processes in heart failure treatment includes a broad spectrum of interventions and different levels of care and support at various stages of the person's disease pathway. It does not necessarily mean referral to a hospice or the withdrawal of prognostic heart failure medication, and people can dip in and out of palliative care over the course of their illness. Palliative care processes can be delivered by specialist palliative care doctors and nurses, as well as GPs, geriatricians and heart failure specialist nurses who are specially trained to implement palliative care processes for heart failure patients. Through access to professionals with palliative care skills, people with heart failure and their family and carers are provided with better care, support and quality of life.  