Palliative Care
Palliative care is a special kind of healthcare for people who are living with an ongoing illness. The goal of palliative care is to provide the best quality of life for patients with an advanced disease or terminal illness by ensuring their comfort and dignity.
Another important goal of palliative care is the relief of suffering, including pain and other symptoms. Palliative care uses a team approach in order to meet not only physical needs but also the psychological, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and his or her family.
Here are a few frequently asked questions about palliative care:
>> Who can receive palliative care?
>> Is palliative care the same as hospice care?
>> How can palliative care help patients, families and caregivers?
>> Who makes up the palliative care team?
>> Where is palliative care available?
Every adult patient with a chronic or life-threatening illness may benefit from palliative care. The illness may have appeared suddenly, or it may have been progressing for many years. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Heart (cardiac) disease
- Lung (pulmonary) disease
- Renal (kidney) disease
- Alzheimer's disease
- Severe stroke or other neurological disorders
- ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease)
- AIDS
- Cancer
- Multi-system organ failure
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Hospice care is meant specifically for those approaching the last stages of life, while palliative care is appropriate for any stage of a serious illness.
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Palliative care services include:
- Guidance with difficult treatment choices
- Emotional and spiritual support for you and your family
- Caregiver support
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The team begins with you, your family and your doctors. The team can include nurses trained in palliative care as well as a consulting physician, care manager, social worker, spiritual care chaplain, pharmacist, nutritionist and others who are specially trained to provide care for medical, social, emotional and spiritual needs during this time. The team works closely with your primary care physician to develop a plan of care that respects your personal choices.
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Palliative care services are available at Springfield Regional Medical Center. Palliative care coordinators can be reached at (937) 328-9769 during the week or at (937) 390-9665 after hours and on weekends.
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