Palliative Care

Palliative Care is specialized medical care that focuses on relief of pain and other symptoms associated with serious, life-threatening illness.  Care provision is not dependent upon prognosis, age or stage of the diagnosis and the patient can continue to pursue curative treatment.

At Assisted, Palliative Care is provided as a special program within our Home Health Care Program.  In order to participate in the Palliative Care Program, the patient must meet the home health admission criteria of being homebound and having skilled and medically necessary needs.  Our care goals focus on relief of suffering from pain and symptoms and well as enhancement of the patient’s and family’s quality of life.

ELEMENTS OF A PALLIATIVE CARE PROGRAM

On-going Assessment and Management of the following:

Physical Symptoms

• Pain
• Shortness of Breath
• Constipation
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Loss of Appetite
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Muscle Weakness
• Chronic Fatigue
• Cramps

Psychosocial Needs

• Family Support Needs
• Spiritual Needs
• Cognition/Attention
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fear
• Suffering

Palliative Care Diagnoses

•  Respiratory Disease

Advanced COPD

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary Hypertension

•  Advanced Cardiac Disease

CHF

CAD

Cardiomyopathy

•  Parkinson’s Disease
•  Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease
•  Renal Failure/Dialysis Patients
•  End Stage Liver Disease
•  Stroke
•  ALS
•  Cancer

The patient’s physician works with the Palliative Care Team of physician specialists, nurses and social workers. The oversite for Assisted’s Palliative Care Program is provided by a Registered Nurse certified in oncology and board certified as a hospice and palliative care nurse (CHPN).

(Adapted from the Center to Advance Palliative Care)

To learn more about Palliative Care and how Assisted can help, www.assisted1.com/home_health_care.