Palliative Care
At Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, we define palliative care as the kindhearted treatments and care measures intended to comfort and support individuals who are living with serious illnesses. Palliative care begins with a patient’s diagnosis; it’s for people who haven’t exhausted their options and are still seeking treatment for a chronic condition. It’s a comfort approach to care, but at a level where the patient is still seeking curative options to either manage or cure their illness.
We consider it to be the management of health where we embrace each patient’s condition while creating an environment of comfort and relief. Our palliative care team works with the patient’s primary physicians to address the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects of their illness during treatment.
The Goals of Palliative Care
It’s our goal to make sure all our patients’ needs are fully met and they are as comfortable as possible. Patients who are still receiving curative treatments may also receive palliative care to address the discomfort, symptoms, and stress resulting from their illness. Palliative care aims at improving the quality of life for both patients and their families. We help the patients manage their symptoms so that their disease becomes more manageable.
The Palliative Care Team
Ardent utilizes a coordination of team members lead by a palliative director who creates a unique plan of care based on the goals set by the patient, their physician, and family. The care plan involves additional appropriate team members as needed, such as social workers, chaplains, specialists, volunteers, nurses, and board certified clinicians. Our palliative team tends to the physical aspects of a patient’s illness by providing specialized care during or following curative treatments.
We offer 24/7 support, and our entire team is available to assist the families we work with in every way we can.
Palliative Care for Patients
Palliative care is appropriate for any person coping with a serious illness, no matter their age or the stage of the disease. If a patient requires palliative care, he or she can be confident in Ardent’s ability to provide a full range of services that focus on his or her health and happiness. We strive to go above and beyond in anticipation of whatever it is that our patients may need.
Palliative Care Criteria
Palliative care begins when a patient is diagnosed with a terminal illness and needs special care measures to live in comfort as they continue to seek curative measures. It entails an entire health care team to help treat and manage the pain and symptoms of a chronic condition.
To receive palliative care, a patient should meet certain criteria, such as:
- Diagnosis of life-limiting illness
- Declining or limited ability to complete daily activities
- Uncontrolled symptoms for longer than 24 hours
- Frequent hospital or emergency room admissions
- Being determined as non-hospice appropriate
Palliative Care Treatments
At Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, we have a detailed process for evaluating the level of palliative care a patient needs. Our treatments can offer relief and comfort for patients coping with several conditions and diseases like cancer, COPD, AIDS, organ failure, and cardiac, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease.
Additionally, palliative care can limit the discomfort caused by symptoms from those illnesses, including:
- Advance directives
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Depression
- Difficulty breathing
- Family concerns, stress and fear
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Pain
- Sleep problems
- Transitioning to end-of-life care
- Weakness
- Weight loss
Palliative Care Services
Through our palliative care program, we help patients manage symptoms, create a personalized care plan, educate caregivers, and coordinate physical, psychosocial, and spiritual support services. Our palliative care also covers a number of services and therapies, including:
- 24/7 On-Call Nurse
- Advanced Directives
- Bereavement Care
- Dietary Counseling
- Essential Oil Therapy
- Family Concerns
- In-Home Care Service Referrals
- Medication for Pain Control & Pain Management
- Music Therapy
- No One Should Die Alone Foundation
- Pet Therapy
- Physicians
- Skilled Nursing
- Social Services
- Spiritual & Grief Counseling
- Volunteers
At Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care, there are no limitations to the care we deliver to our patients and their families.
Palliative Care Cost
The cost of palliative care services is dependent upon the patient’s insurance policy; for example, Medicaid only covers hospice care during the last six months of life. Patients who do not qualify for hospice are often responsible for the cost of any premiums and co-pays.
Palliative Care for Families
Ultimately, Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care is a resource for families of patients suffering from a chronic condition. We’re an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands providing care to take away patients’ discomfort and families’ stress. We work with a patient’s primary physician to add an extra layer of support during a vulnerable time.
We support and guide families through several avenues of care:
Dignity Therapist
One service Ardent offers families is through our dignity-certified social worker. They are trained extensively to provide specialized care and conduct life-reviews with our palliative patients and their loved ones. Over several visits, they speak with the patient and record their stories and reactions to a series of questions, which are then compiled and made into a book.
This becomes a gift for patients to leave their loved ones after their passing. Our dignity therapist gives the patient a final chance to pass along their knowledge, stories, wisdom, and love so that it can be cherished forever.
No One Should Die Alone Foundation
Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care partners with the No One Should Die Alone Foundation to provide small acts of compassion to our patients and their families. We understand that basic human needs must be met in order for patients to feel truly comfortable and at peace. We provide three categories of support for patients, family members, caregivers, and loved ones coping with life-limiting illness:
- Necessities For Life
- Life Enhancements
- Wish Fulfillment
Whether a patient needs companionship, help paying a bill, or assistance with travel costs so family can be by his or her bedside, No One Should Die Alone is there to help.
Where Can I Get More Information?
If you want more information on the extra support palliative care can offer your loved one, contact Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care today by visiting us online or Contact Us at one of our offices.
Palliative Care FAQ
If you have any questions about palliative care services for you or your loved one, we encourage you to contact your physician or Ardent Hospice & Palliative Care directly or review the FAQ
