Palliative Care
Palliative care focuses on relieving symptoms and improving the patient’s quality of life. The plan of care is about comfort and getting the most out of life in spite of chronic illness or when a cure is not possible. Palliative Care is not restrictive to end of life; patients may still choose to seek curative treatment under a palliative care program.
What is the difference between palliative care and hospice?
Medicare hospice admission criteria mandates that a person have a life limiting illness with a prognosis of six months or less, and chooses to seek comfort care, not curative treatment.
Palliative care would be available to people with a life threatening illness much sooner in the disease process. Individuals choosing palliative care for comfort and support may still seek curative treatment.
Palliative care services offered:
- Assistance in providing information about diagnosis, prognosis and care options
- Consults for pain and symptom control
- Family conferences to assist in setting goals of care, learning patient and family needs and providing education
- Coordination of services at time of discharge from the hospital
- Follow-up by registered nurse and other interdisciplinary team members as needed after discharge from the hospital
- Support for family
- Bereavement support services as desired
Palliative care goals:
- Manage pain and other symptoms to enhance quality of life
- Give emotional and spiritual support to patients and family (family members are those persons who are close to the patient whether or not they are legally related)
- Facilitate decision-making that allows patient wishes to be heard and respected
- Demonstrate effective communication with patients and families facing chronic or life threatening illness
- Discuss the issues of hope and grief with patients and families
If you or someone you love would like to speak to the palliative care team coordinator, please call (515) 557-3100 or request information using our online form.