Palliative Care

PALLIATIVE CARE

Palliative care improves the lives of patients and families facing serious illness. It focuses on relief of pain, symptoms and stress - whatever the diagnosis.

Comfort, Relief, Compassionate Care

• Relief from distressing symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping
• Live comfortably and experience the best possible quality of life for you and your family
• Better understand your medical condition
• Improved ability to carry on with daily life and tolerate medical treatments

Palliative Care Consultative Service

Our team works closely with your primary provider or hospitalist to provide the best supportive care for patients and families facing serious illness. Here is what we do:

• Build a care plan that lessens the physical symptoms of disease, eases the stress of emotional and social worries and helps you decide what kind of care is right for you.
• Help you navigate the healthcare system and access community resources through coordination and referral.

Who Benefits From Palliative Care?

People living with any serious or debilitating illness e.g., cancer, congestive heart failure, lung disease, kidney failure, liver disorder, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Palliative care helps through all stages of illness.

Palliative care provides the best results when it is introduced early in your care, and can be provided at the same time curative treatments are provided.

Palliative care is not hospice. Both use a team of experts to provide pain relief and comfort care, but palliative care can be appropriate at any stage of serious illness. Hospice care is a type of palliative care but is intended for patients with six months or less to live.

WhidbeyHealth Palliative Care

Carla Jolley MN, ARNP, AOCN, CHPN, (pictured right) of the Palliative Care Consult Service provides the initial palliative care consult, which can be done with inpatients, with outpatients in our Cancer Care clinic or at a skilled nursing facility. Patients experiencing a decline in their ability to function can receive their consultation in their home or in assisted living. Our interdisciplinary team includes a master’s level social worker and an experienced chaplain; the goal of care is to support the whole person and their family system.

Depending on your needs, a team member can be involved for a short time or as part of your long-term care plan and needs.

We are committed to providing excellent palliative care whether a person has been recently diagnosed, is in active treatment, has completed therapy or is nearing end of life.

Who Pays For Palliative Care?

Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers typically cover palliative care services. It is similar to seeing other specialists such as cardiologists.

Referrals To Palliative Care

Palliative care requires a provider's order. However, anyone may request a referral, after which we will contact your physician or provider to discuss our program. We work in partnership with your provider to offer an extra layer of support for you and your family.