Palliative and End-of-Life Care Across the Continuum

Palliative and End-of-Life Care Across the Continuum

Palliative and end-of-life care refers to a specialized medical care that is meant for persons living with serious illnesses or those who are the verge of dying. As such, this type of care is focused on offering relief from stress and symptoms associated with serious illnesses regardless of the diagnosis. The main aim of palliative care is to ensure quality of care not only for the patient but also that of his or her family.

Palliative and end-of-life care across the continuum is offered at the following clinical setting; hospice, home setting, house calls, inpatient palliative care, skilled nursing facility, and cancer center clinic.

What really matters at the end of life

Hospice

This is a palliative care service that is offered to patients that are experiencing terminal illness. The patients are estimated to have less than six months life expectancy. The hospice care has two categories including the outpatient and inpatient. In outpatient, the caregiver can follow up the client to their homes when called upon and in includes; group home, assisted living facility, and SNF. The services offered include; dietary, therapy, chaplain, social services, and nursing services including; crises and case management. It is on short-term basis and patients are not required to have DNR. End-of-Life Care Across the Continuum

Home Health Care

This is a specialist palliative care services that are offered to home health patients that are established to be experiencing advanced illness. This care involves educating patients on transition and options of care as well as planning on advance care and end-of-life discussions.  Patients are guided on technologies and medical decisions available.

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House Calls

In this type of care, nurse practitioners make ‘house calls’ to patients that have advance chronicle illnesses who do not satisfy the conditions for home health criteria. There is no need for ‘skilled need’ and visits depend on medical necessities.  High-risk patients are allowed 24/7 on-call team.

Inpatient Palliative Care

This is a hospital set up that is established to offer palliative interventions in which patients can benefit during the period in which they are hospitalized. The inpatient care is focused on imminent death admission, which is a prognosis meant for less than 72 hours. It also includes services such as; respite, caregiver crises, and pain/symptom management.   End-of-Life Care Across the Continuum

Skilled Nursing Facility

This is defined as the palliative care services offered to the residents who are considered members of SNF. The care service has a primary focus on management of symptoms, coordination of care and effective communication.

Cancer Center Clinic

This is a referral based clinic that offers the palliative care focused not only on pain but also emphasizes on symptoms management that is meant for patients who are under cancer treatment program. Patients are allowed to have weekly consultative practices which include; advance pain and symptoms management, directive focus, coordination of care, and discussion on decision making and advanced treatment.

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Palliative and End-of-Life Care Across the Continuum