Palliative care can help families deal with these conditions while providing support for both the residents and their families. But what is palliative care? When can it be beneficial for families in Vancouver, WA? The specialists at Bridge Crest Post Acute answer your questions here and how we can support an individual’s healthcare journey.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is designed for individuals living with serious illnesses. The goal of this specialized medical care is to improve comfort, relieve symptoms, and help residents and caregivers understand and coordinate care options.
How Is Palliative Care Different Than Hospice Care?
Unlike hospice care, palliative care can be given at any stage of an illness. It can also be given alongside treatments intended to extend the person’s life or manage or cure underlying conditions.
It is offered administered to people living with:
- Cancer
- Heart failure
- Chronic lung disease
- Kidney disease
- Other serious medical conditions
How Does Palliative Care Help Families and Resident?
Palliative care combines physical and emotional care. It can help families deal with the mental and physical challenges associated with caring for someone with complex medical conditions.
Benefits of palliative care include:
- Symptom management: Palliative care assists residents with pain, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and any other issues associated with the illness or treatment plan.
- Emotional support: Our team at Bridge Creek Post Acute will help residents and their families with stress associated with the condition, difficult treatment decisions, and other related concerns.
- Family assistance: We will help families understand what to expect from care and how they can help with the treatment journey. We will talk about treatment options and care priorities.
- Interdisciplinary team care: Our team will coordinate care and communication between all healthcare professionals.
Care will be tweaked based on the resident’s condition, physician recommendations, and individual needs.
When Should Families Consider Palliative Care?
Families may want to consider palliative care when a loved one is experiencing the following:
- Ongoing symptoms like fatigue, difficulty breathing, and nausea
- Having to make complicated treatment decisions
- Issues with managing a chronic illness
- Pain or discomfort that interferes with daily living activities
- Persistent stress
- Repeated hospital visits
Families may also consider it if caregiving responsibilities have become overwhelming, or they need to coordinate care among different healthcare providers. Family members should talk to the loved one’s healthcare provider to better understand their options.
What Questions Should Families Ask Before Considering Palliative Care?
Making any healthcare decision can be challenging. So, it’s important for family members to ask themselves and their healthcare providers the following questions:
- Will palliative care help address my loved one’s symptoms or challenges?
- Can the skilled nursing facility provide palliative care alongside the person’s current treatment plan?
- Who will participate in the treatment?
- How will the families be kept up to date on changes in treatment or the resident’s condition?
- How will Bridge Crest Post Acute support the family and caregivers?
- How do healthcare providers update treatment plans if the resident’s needs change?
Answering these questions can help you or your loved ones make better informed decisions.
Trust Bridge Crest Post Acute with Your Palliative Care Needs
Dealing with a serious illness and the associated care plan options can be challenging. But you’re not alone. The healthcare team at Bridge Crest Post Acute can offer families and residents the support they need to make the right treatment choices and improve quality of life.
Families interested in learning more about our facility or discussing available services are welcome to contact us today. Schedule a tour to see our community in person.