PATIENT
Holistic Health The benefits of community-based palliative care By: Oscar Limas
A palliative care team is comprised of a physician, registered nurses, a medical social worker and a chaplain who have specialty training in the delivery of palliative care. Members of the team may also include the patient’s family, friends and non-professional caregivers. The World Health Organization’s definition of palliative care is, “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with a life-threatening illness, through the prevention of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.” Outside of the medical community, palliative is frequently confused with hospice care. Although there are some similarities, and they are often used concomitantly, hospice is geared toward end-of-life care after a patient and/or family has decided to not seek any further aggressive or curative measures.
On the other hand, palliative care may be introduced at any stage of a chronic disease, which causes discomfort, and the patient’s age has no bearing on the implementation of this service. Examples of chronic diseases for which palliative care may be used include, but are not limited to: • • • • • • •
Cancer Congestive heart failure Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Kidney failure Genetic disorders Dementia Stroke
These types of services have been shown to improve both quality and duration of life. Palliative care may be implemented in a hospital setting, in a nursing home setting or in private homes. AAdi provides palliative care services directly to patients living at home, also known as a community setting. In the comfort of his or her residence, a patient may receive home health services, which include skilled nursing, home health aides or physical/occupational/ speech therapy. The addition of palliative care services will not interfere with the patient’s current routine or level of care he or she is receiving in the home, but rather, involves an added set of professionals focusing on maintaining the patient’s comfort level. Palliative care services are typically requested by a primary care physician, a specialist or family members. Once an order is obtained for the evaluation, the palliative care physician conducts an assessment. If criteria has been met, the registered nurse will complete the admission process. The palliative care team will formulate a plan of care, which will address immediate needs, as well as potential future needs, ensuring the patient and family are comfortable. We here at AAdi are privileged to be able to provide palliative care services, as well as home health services, psychiatric skilled nursing and hospice services to our community.
Oscar Limas, R.N., is the director of program operations at AAdi Home Health & Hospice. He may be reached at olimas@aadihh.com. For more information on AAdi Home Health & Hospice services, please call 361-452-3384.
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alliative care is a specialty service focused on the holistic care of a patient and his or her family by managing the symptoms of a chronic, serious and/ or debilitating disease process requiring special attention. The ultimate goal of palliative care is to improve the patient’s quality of life. This goal is achieved by treating physical symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath, but this may also include needs that are psychosocial and spiritual in nature.
