Palliative Care
Palliative Care focuses on improving the quality of life and relieving symptoms for patients who are critically ill. Palliative care offers an extra level of care for patients, whether they are terminally ill or battling a serious medical condition.
At Regional Medical Center, we are committed to keeping our patients as comfortable as possible during their hospital stay. We provide palliative care to improve physical symptoms and manage pain while patients receive treatment for serious illnesses.
Patients who benefit from palliative care
Patients with a variety of conditions may receive palliative care to ease their physical and mental symptoms throughout the duration of their care, such as:
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
- Alzheimer's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
- Congestive heart failure
- Kidney failure
- Parkinson's disease
Palliative care services
Palliative care comes in many forms, but may include services such as massage therapy, counseling sessions or pain management. The goal of palliative care is to help patients become more comfortable while they receive treatment in our hospital.
Palliative services are an option for patients with curable conditions and those receiving end-of-life care. In addition to medical treatment, our hospital provides palliative care to help patients:
- Alleviate symptoms to improve overall quality of life during treatment
- Cope with difficult medical issues by offering emotional and spiritual support
- Manage their pain levels
- Navigate complex medical decisions
- Reduce stress levels associated with serious illness
Palliative care team
The palliative care team works in collaboration with a patient's medical team throughout their course of treatment. It is led by board-certified clinicians who create a care plan for every patient based on their goals. Depending on a patient's condition and needs, their care team may include:
- Chaplains
- Counselors
- Hospice clinicians
- Music therapists
- Palliative care clinicians
- Registered dietitians
- Social workers
Palliative care versus hospice care
Palliative care, also called quality of life care, is the generalized term for helping patients manage symptoms and stressors associated with serious illness. It focuses on comfort and support rather than curing the condition. This can benefit patients who are undergoing intensive treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation. Palliative care can help patients who are expected to recover from their condition and also those with terminal illnesses.
Hospice care is a type of palliative care that refers to patients who are expected to live six months or less because of an incurable condition.
Palliative care can begin at diagnosis and continue throughout a patient's treatment. Hospice care begins when curative therapies are no longer able to control a patient's disease. The decision to begin hospice care is made when a patient and their physician agree that treatment has become ineffective.
Insurance information
Most healthcare providers offer coverage for palliative care. Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) only cover hospice care.