Palliative Care is the comprehensive, interdisciplinary management of patients with active, chronic, debilitating or life-limiting disease or illness. The focus of care is the highest attainable quality of life with equal attention to emotional and spiritual well-being, combined with effective management of symptoms, clear communication, shared decision-making, continuity and coordination of care, and continuous support of the patient and family.
This excellent care will be provided according to need, either concurrently with life-prolonging treatment or as the main focus of care. Such care will be provided from the time of diagnosis throughout the process of living and dying, including the support of the families and communities in their bereavement.
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Palliative Care
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Geriatrics
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Hospice Care
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Case Management
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Pain Management
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Patient Services
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Patients of any age, at any stage of advanced and life-threatening illness.
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Elderly and frail patients
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Dying patients of any age
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All patients with complex care needs
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All patients complaining of pain
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Services Provided
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Throughout illness and simultaneous with other treatment, comprehensive, coordinated pain and symptom control, care of psychological, spiritual needs, family support and assistance in making decisions and transitions between care settings.
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Provides high quality care for older adults that includes palliative care
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At the end of life when curative treatment is not desired or not effective, comprehensive, coordinated pain and symptom control, care of psychological, spiritual needs, family support and assistance in making transitions between care settings. Bereavement care for survivors.
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Assists to develop treatment plans guided by benchmarks, pathways and standards.
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Implementation of appropriate dosing and medication combinations as well as anesthetic and behavioral interventions to manage pain symptoms.
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Key Differences
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Program open to all seriously ill patients, not limited to those with poor prognosis.
–Patients do not have to forgo curative care.
–Palliative care team coordinates care from a variety of health care providers, including specialists and primary care physicians to prevent service fragmentation.
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Geriatrics provides a broader scope of services to a more limited patient age group.
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Six-month prognosis required by Medicare and other funders. Coverage includes outpatient medications and supplies. Patients forgo Medicare/insurance coverage or
life-prolonging treatment.
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Assists to coordinate care and facilitate transitions between settings. Medical input not provided.
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Focus is on effective management of pain symptoms of varying severity to improve the quality of life. Limited in scope to pain only, usually for chronic pain not in context of advanced illness or postoperative pain.
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