What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care assists seriously ill individuals to maintain maximum physical, psychological and spiritual well-being.  The Palliative Care Team provides support and guidance to patients and their families and helps them 1) address the diverse problems associated with serious illness, 2) assist with advance care planning and 3) develop a personalized plan of care to help each patient and family. 

Palliative care services include:

• Pain and symptom management
• Emotional support
• Practical support with insurance, finances and community resources
• Volunteer and spiritual support
• Helping you and your family to have a better understanding of the future course of your illness by thinking ahead to the choices you are likely to face
• Ensuring that your choices about care treatment are honored by providing assistance with the completion of Advance Directives

Who Provides Palliative Care Services?

Palliative Care of Rockland is a program offered by United Hospice of Rockland

Depending upon the individual’s needs, all or part of the Palliative Care of Rockland team will be involved in providing services.  During the initial meeting, patients and families will identify what services they need.  The team members include:

1. A Nurse Practitioner (NP) who will provide the patient with care and education on medical issues relating to the patient’s illness.  The NP will provide an assessment and assist with the management of pain and other symptoms.
    
2. A Medical Social Worker who will provide support and practical information for referrals to community agencies. 
    
3. Volunteers who will provide emotional and practical support (such as shopping, playing cards, laundry or simply listening).

Working in collaboration with the individual’s physician, the Palliative Care of Rockland team will provide these services in the comfort of your own home.  A palliative care team is also available if you are hospitalized at Nyack Hospital.

Who is Eligible for Palliative Care Services?

Patients are eligible for the Palliative Care of Rockland Program if they have a serious illness and:

1. do not meet the criteria for hospice (i.e. longer than six month prognosis, seeking curative treatment, etc.) or
2. are eligible for hospice but do not desire hospice services or
3. are an inpatient palliative care patient who has been discharged from the hospital. 
    

Examples of patients who have benefited from palliative care:

Many, if not all seriously ill patients could benefit from palliative care services to complement their life-prolonging therapy. The two cases below illustrate the range of interventions provided:

• Mr. G was a 65-year-old man diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.  The family declined hospice services because they were focused on pursuing whatever life-prolonging treatments might be available.  Mr. G was subsequently referred to palliative care.  The family would not agree to the issuance of a “do not resuscitate” order.  He was assessed by the physician and nurse to insure adequate symptom relief.  The social worker provided the family with much needed emotional support and the spiritual care coordinator provided support as well.  The family was guided through the options available and the benefits and burdens of the various options were explained to them. The social worker helped the family to come to terms with the patient’s prognosis, a DNR was completed and the family was supported. 
  
   
• Ms. S was referred to the Palliative Care of Rockland program by a friend.  She had emphysema, severe respiratory infections and required oxygen.  The multiple medications that she required for her chronic illness made her very anxious and irritable.  Any small activity made her short of breath.  Her condition rendered her housebound.  When the Palliative Care Nurse first visited Ms. S, she found her to be very sick and confused about what medications to take and when to take them.  Ms. S was taking some medications at night that were keeping her awake.  She was uncertain as to the purpose of some of her medications.  Getting to the doctor was difficult because she had such a hard time managing the portable oxygen as she tried to maneuver herself into a taxi cab.  All of this increased her anxiety and frustration.  The Palliative Care Nurse coordinated Ms. S’s care and teaching with her primary physician and her pulmonary specialist.  The Palliative Care Nurse gave Ms. S a list of all of her medications detailing when to take them and what they were for.  Palliative Care of Rockland Volunteers assisted Ms. S by driving her to her doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping for her, and playing cards with her.  Palliative Care of Rockland’s Social Worker assisted Ms. S with completing a health care proxy and living will.  As Ms. S’s physical condition improved, the Palliative Care Nurse referred her for pulmonary rehabilitation, which she attended with the help of a volunteer driving her.  Thanks to the Palliative Care of Rockland Program, Ms. S’s physical and emotional state has improved greatly.  She continues to look forward to all of the visits by the various team members.

When is the Right Time to Call?

The sooner we become involved, the sooner we can help.  We will contact your doctor and meet with you to help determine the right time for services to begin.  Call us now - we are ready to help.