The New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper offers a series of articles about palliative care. Read the article below to learn more about palliative care and how it can help you and your loved ones.

Palliative care: ‘Bringing medicine back to where it’s supposed to be’

By GRETCHEN M. GROSKY | New Hampshire Union Leader

It’s 8 a.m. and a group of doctors, nurses, social workers and spiritual counselors gathers around a conference table in a building at Concord Hospital. The team of palliative care providers brings out a Himalayan prayer bowl and for more than an hour, takes turns speaking about their patients — all facing life-changing diagnoses.

“We’re bringing medicine back to where it’s supposed to be,” said Dr. Stephen Rust, executive director of Capital Region Palliative Care and Hospice. “My whole life as a doctor, I’ve been taught command, to be in command of the situation, to be in command of the care. But here, we’re listening to people. We’re not giving up responsibility. We’re sharing it.”

On this day, they discuss an elderly gentleman with dementia, with vivid memories of his dead wife; he talks about seeing her again. It’s the only time he’s cried in front a team member. He’s also a devout Catholic who believes his religion calls upon him to do everything to keep his body alive. [ Read entire article ]