Please suggest some important questions i can ask my doctor about palliative care for a loved one.

Discuss: Discuss exactly what will and will not be offered for care if situation changes- gets ill, etc.

It: It is important to inquire with the patient and family about any traditional end-of-life rituals.

What: What do we do to make sure that we get the best possible quality of life?

Does: Does the patient have illness that will likely result in death in 6 months or less? Use hospice.

Ask: Ask about the following: home care vs residential facility, pain meds, nutrition and hydration.

What: What are different options? Explain codes and advanced directives and goals of treatment?

Is: If a patient who is referred to pc, does that mean they are going to die soon or should give up hope?

Will: Will withholding certain medications hasten the end?

Do: Do you think now is a good time to begin palliative care? Can you provide it? Can you refer us?

What: What can i expect? What will my love one feel and experience? What can I do to help transition?

Ask: Ask about benefits and side effects of morphine and other pain killers at the end of life.

Advantages/disadvantages: Advantages/disadvantages of palliative care in the person's home vs. A hospice type center.

Do: Do we really need to continue to treat his or her chronic medical conditions with medicines?

How: How long do they expect survival, what complications are expected, what changes to the environment.

Is: Is residential hospice for-profit or nonprofit? Will you still be the doctor if your loved one goes?

What: What is my role in this process? What are the specific tasks I should focus on?

Notify: Notify the doctor about specific symptoms which your loved one is suffering , ask available resources.

How: How will pain be controlled? Council us on end of life care. How can i be involved through out?

Will: Will my loved one be kept comfortable & be relatively pain free in the last few days of their lives.

Ask: Ask about the specific symptoms that can be alleviated, advance directives & what to do in emergency.

Ask: Ask who will manage actually administering medications, especially as that person may get sicker.

Ignore: How can i improve the quality of my loved ones life during this phase of their life ?

Ask: Ask your doctor to explain the goals for your loved one, and how she plans to meet them.

Ignore: Doc, how will they probably die? Can you prevent pain, suffering and preserve their dignity?

Ignore: 1 will you continue office visits/home visits until the end? 2 will my pain and fears get better?

Ignore: Besides medications, what other modalities can be used to help control my pain?