Palliative care is specialized medical care for patients with a serious or chronic life-limiting illness. It focuses on giving patients relief from the symptoms and stress of their illness. Palliative care professionals work closely with family members, caregivers and the medical team to improve your quality of life.
Palliative care is not the same as hospice, which is care for patients in their final weeks or months of life. Palliative care is appropriate for patients of any age and at any stage of their illness. Unlike hospice, it can be provided together with curative treatment.
What services will Hendricks Regional Health Palliative Care provide?
Our palliative care team works with patients, their families and healthcare providers to support serious and chronic progressive illnesses with the following:
- Psychological: We help treat depression, sleep disturbances and other symptoms related to mental well-being and emotional health
- Physical: We work to reduce pain and other distressing symptoms with the goal of improving quality of life
- Social: We guide you in learning how to maintain strong relations between family and friends
- Spiritual: We support patients’ spiritual journeys as they seek comfort, meaning and hope through faith
- Assistance navigating the medical system: We assist patients and families in making decisions about care and treatments ensuring the care delivered during the healthcare journey is the care desired
Who can benefit from receiving palliative care?
Patients with a variety of conditions can benefit from the support of our palliative care team. Examples include:
How palliative care improves quality of life
Palliative care professionals help coordinate:
- Relief from pain and distressing symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, sleeping issues and many other concerns
- Management of treatment side effects
- Support for family and caregivers
- Assistance with making and understanding treatment decisions
- Resources and information needed to get through a challenging time
What to expect during your consultation for palliative care services
Depending on your and your family’s needs, when you meet with a member of our palliative care team they can:
- Explain the services and supportive resources available
- Work with you to establish goals and priorities based on your health condition and needs
- Help you with advance care planning
- Make recommendations to help you manage your symptoms
- Clarify treatment questions
- Discuss any medication needs or concerns
- Refer you to other community organizations
- Help you fill out an advance directive
How do I get palliative care?
The process to begin receiving palliative care usually begins when either your medical team refers you or you ask your healthcare provider for a referral. If these services are something that you or your loved one are interested in learning more about, we encourage further discussion with your providers on your medical team.
For additional information about a palliative care consultation for yourself or a loved one, contact a member of our team at (317) 456-9064