What is Palliative Care?
Palliative Care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
A team, including a Nurse Practitioner and Social Worker, provides Palliative Care services. They work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative Care is appropriate for any age with serious illness and can be provided along with treatment meant to cure the illness, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and dialysis. Serious illnesses may include things like cancer, heart disease, COPD, kidney failure, Alzheimer’s, dementia, liver disease, and respiratory disease.
Palliative Care is provided in a variety of settings such as the hospital, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and at home.
Benefits
Palliative Care services help provide relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping. Palliative Care makes it easier to carry on with activities of daily life. It can improve the ability to go through medical treatments. The Palliative Care team can help with explaining and understanding medical conditions and choices for care and treatments. It often improves the ability to tolerate curative medical treatments.
Payment
Most private insurance plans, and Medicare/Medicaid cover the cost of Palliative Care. Any small co-pays for physician visits are billed to the patient. If costs are a concern, the Social Worker can help! Palliative Care Cleveland County is a non-profit organization serving patients regardless of ability to pay.
Referrals
Anyone can refer a patient. Our team will coordinate contacting your doctor to get a
Palliative Care order and begin services. You can make a referral simply by calling 704-487-4678 or complete our online referral form. Tell your doctors, nurses, family, and friends that you want Palliative Care!