Happy for you

@cindylb- Hi! This is so encouraging to hear. People who "get it" make life easier to live with even if it's a downhill battle. Are there any special comments that have been made by your counselor that you might share with us that could help someone else?

When talking to medical professionals about your/his care, especially with palliative care, it helps to say how the care will help maintain independence. The patient is an important part of the decision making team, and their voice should he heard. The insurance company is always motivated by what will cost it the least. And staying independent means less costs for them.
What types of care might help with independence? It depends on the diagnosis, for instance, if a patient has had throat/mouth issues and is at risk for losing the ability to swallow, then ongoing speech therapy services may extend the time that swallowing is functional. Even though the goal is not to fix the problem - but therapy could help make eating independently last much longer.
Same goes for pain. If some type of exercise or PT alleviates some of the pain then the patient may be able to move more and stay healthier- less co-morbid health issues, better self-care.
Other care that may reduce health decline and maintain independence: muscle strength, balance, reducing pain to stay active, engaging in social events, maintaining skills needed for a hobby or to cook for oneself. Think like the insurance company - how will the patient’s functioning affect costs over time. Keeping you healthy and independent is much cheaper for them than long term high cost care.