The expert listed the main stereotypes about palliative care

There are still many stereotypes around palliative care and hospices that prevent people from receiving the necessary support on time, Igor Berlinsky, professor at the Hong Kong Research Institute of HNST, noted in an interview with Izvestia. According to him, one of the most persistent myths is that a hospice is a "place of death" and palliative care means refusing treatment.

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The expert said that in fact, palliative care is not aimed at "living out", but at maximizing the quality of life of a seriously ill person.: relieve pain, relieve symptoms, and provide psychological and social support. The expert emphasized that care often begins long before the terminal stages of the disease.

"The quality of care largely depends on the team. Medical specialists should be familiar with pain management methods, be able to work with chronic pain, know the specifics of palliative pharmacology, and be ready for constant dialogue with the patient and family," Berlinski said.

He added that volunteers in hospices do not replace medical staff. Their task is to support, communicate, help with household issues and create a warm, comfortable atmosphere. It is also important that both doctors and volunteers receive special training and supervision.

"Special attention is paid to the accessibility of palliative care for socially vulnerable people. Ideally, it should be equally accessible to everyone, but in practice, homeless and undocumented people have additional barriers. In recent years, charity programs and municipal schemes have appeared that help such patients receive the necessary care," Berlinski said.

For more information, read the Izvestia article about what stereotypes about palliative care are still found, and what hospices really are.