Overcoming Fears Through Palliative Care

People are afraid of the word Hospice. Almost every week we have someone who asks us to turn around our “Hospice Badge” when we meet patients and families. Even though we are all terminal, death and decline are difficult to face.

By offering Palliative Care we extend our services to anyone living with serious illness, seeking to improve quality of life through care and symptom management. Palliative Care is widely misunderstood but it is certainly less feared. The scope of practice in Palliative Care is particular to individual programs.

Our Palliative Care Program is connected to our Hospice services.

Some things are important for you to know about Palliative Community Resources:

• Our program is a community-based House Call Program.
• Goals of Care is a focus of every encounter.
• Holistic Care is a priority. Emotional and Spiritual needs are considered.
• Seniors with any chronic disease or cancer that are aging (>80) and have declining health are a majority of our patients.
• Most patients are situationally or fully homebound.
• We measure the progression of our significantly ill patients and have 3 primary pathways:
  • 15% Getting Better – Return to primary care
  • 80% Stay about the Same – Remain on Palliative Services
  • 4% Declining – Move to Hospice Care

Our team of 26 Nurse Practitioners and our Medical Directors are now supporting around 2,318 patients. You can get a good look at our Program by visiting our website using the following link: www.palliativecommunityresources.com.

Many of our team members and referral sources have referred their family members for our Palliative Care, demonstrating the need for and confidence in care. We are connecting with an average of 80 referred patients each week to discuss their care goals. About 50 are ready for Hospice while the remainder benefit from the care and support of our House Call Practice.

Fear of death, the impression that Hospice is giving up, keeps many in need of care from getting it. Palliative Care has allowed our team to overcome fears and help those we serve to achieve their Goals of Care.