PALLIATIVE
FAQs
How long can a patient receive palliative care services?
Patients can receive palliative care as long as services are medically necessary. That may mean until you enter hospice care or until you feel better and no longer need palliative services.
Who pays for palliative care?
Palliative care is provided to those patients that qualify at no cost.
Who provides palliative care?
Each patient is assigned both a nurse and a palliative care specialist. The nurse’s focus is education of advanced Illness diagnosis, symptom management recommendations and goals of care conversations. The palliative care specialist focuses on emotional/spiritual support and assistance with community resources.
Where is palliative care provided?
Palliative care is provided in the comfort of your home.
What should I expect from a palliative care program?
Evaluation: Every patient receives an initial assessment by a palliative registered nurse. The palliative RN will perform a complete assessment to determine an individualized plan of care. Our palliative care specialist also completes an evaluation to identify emotional and/or spiritual needs as well as potential community resources.
On-going visits: Visit frequencies are specific to the patient and the specific needs at the time of the evaluation. Visit frequencies can be as often as weekly for some patients or as infrequent as monthly for others.
Re-evaluation visits: our palliative care registered nures (RN) will complete a re-assessment at least every 60 days to ensure that the patient’s plan of care is always updated and the care delivered meets their specific needs.
Coordination of care: The palliative care team will collaborate with the patient’s health care providers, including physicians, specialists and home health care providers to ensure that their care goals are being coordinated and ensure seamless transitions of care when necessary.
Can i receive other home care services while being on palliative care?
Yes, patients can receive both palliative care while receiving home health, personal care service or other services in the home. Our palliative care team can also help make referrals to other home care providers if needed.
Isn't palliative care the same as hospice?
While all hospice care is palliative care, not all palliative care is hospice. While hospice is for patients with a life expectancy of 6 months or less, palliative care can start at any stage of advanced illness and can occur while a patient is receiving curative treatments.
If I am still seeking aggressive or curative treatment, can I still receive palliative care?
Yes, a patient can receive palliative care while receiving aggressive or curative treatment.
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