Comfort, Support, and Dignity at Every Step
At LifeCare Medical Center, our Palliative Care team is here to support patients and families facing serious illness with compassionate care that focuses on comfort, quality of life, and emotional well-being.
Palliative care is specialized medical care that helps manage the symptoms, stress, and side effects of chronic or life-limiting conditions. It is appropriate at any stage of illness and can be provided alongside curative treatments. Our goal is to honor your values, ease your pain, and support your choices through every step of your care journey.
The ultimate goal of palliative care is for the client to achieve the best quality of life possible. Palliative care is not hospice, although they do share similarities. Unlike hospice, clients served by the Palliative care team, can continue to have active curative treatment and are not limited to a six-month life expectancy.
Admission
Palliative care is appropriate for clients who are having unmanaged symptoms related to a life-limiting disease.
- Examples of such life limiting illnesses are:
- Cancer, that is still being medically treated
- Heart, respiratory, kidney or liver diseases
- Neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s or ALS
- Debility or great age
Many people wonder when to start palliative care. Palliation or symptom management can start anytime you are aware that you have a disease in which your symptoms are not controlled at a level of comfort for you. Our care will help the client and family address symptoms such as pain, nausea, and fear.
Referrals
Referrals to Palliative Care can be made by self, family, friends, and medical referrals. A physician must confirm the need for palliation.
Palliative care provides quality care that supports clients and their families.
Palliative care is provided in the home in the form of a consultative visit by the nurse and social worker. Depending on client needs a plan of care will be developed. Nursing home residents and hospital patients may also be seen for consultative services.
What is an Interdisciplinary Team?
An interdisciplinary team is a team of professionals who work together with the client and family to coordinate care.
- The client
- The family
- Nurse (coordinator and manager)
- Home health aides
- Social worker
- Medical director
- Primary care provider, family physician
- Pharmacist and therapy services, as needed
Working together, this team addresses the needs of the client and family members such as management of pain, nausea, fear, crisis intervention, spiritual and emotional needs, and assistance with community liaisons.
Palliative Care
You will be glad to know that Palliative care can be paid for in a variety of ways. These resources include Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, private pay, and charity care.
To learn how we may be of help to you or your family, please contact our office at:
LifeCare Home Care & Hospice
715 Delmore Drive
Roseau, MN 56761
(218) 463-3211
(800) 356-7731
LifeCare Home Care is Medicare certified and Joint Commission Accredited.
