New NIH brochure educates Hispanics suffering from the symptoms of serious illness, November 7, 2011 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Monday, November 7, 2011
12 p.m. EST Contact:
NINR Office of Science Policy and Public Liaison
info@ninr.nih.gov <info@ninr.nih.gov>
http://www.ninr.nih.gov/
301-496-0207

New NIH brochure educates Hispanics suffering from the symptoms of serious illness
The National Institute of Nursing Research releases Spanish-language palliative care publication
Dealing with the symptoms of a serious illness is difficult. For the Hispanic population, language and cultural barriers can add to the burden, making it even harder to get relief. A new Spanish-language publication from the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), a component of the National Institutes of Health, provides those in the Hispanic community with information about palliative care, a comprehensive treatment that reduces or eliminates pain and other distressing symptoms of illness and medical treatments.

Cuidados Paliativos: El alivio que necesita cuando tiene síntimos de una enfermadad grave (Palliative Care:
The relief you need when you’re experiencing the symptoms of serious illness) explains what palliative care is, who it benefits, and how it works. "Although often seen as an end-of-life protocol, palliative care provides relief to patients dealing with chronic illnesses as well, including AIDS, cystic fibrosis, and diseases of the heart, lungs, and kidneys," noted Dr. Patricia A. Grady, NINR director.

NINR developed the brochure to increase awareness of palliative care among Hispanic patient and caregiving populations, and care providers who serve Hispanic communities.

"By providing this information in Spanish, we seek to increase the number of provider-patient conversations about palliative care resources, so that fewer patients suffer needlessly from pain and distressing symptoms," said Dr. Grady.

Cuidados Paliativos also highlights:
•how to decide if someone needs palliative care
•how to ask a health care provider for palliative care
•how palliative care differs from hospice care
•what kind of specialists participate on a palliative care team
•insurance coverage for palliative care treatment
Research has shown that palliative care offers other benefits as well, including improvements in patient-provider communication, emotional support, and satisfaction with overall care.

To order or download a free copy of the brochure, visit http://www.ninr.nih.gov/ or call 301-496-0207. This publication is also available in English.

NINR supports basic and clinical research that develops the knowledge to build the scientific foundation for clinical practice, prevent disease and disability, manage and eliminate symptoms caused by illness, and enhance end-of-life and palliative care. For more information about NINR, visit the Web site at http://www.ninr.nih.gov/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov/.

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New NIH brochure educates Hispanics suffering from the symptoms of serious illness, November 7, 2011 News Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)