Managing a serious illness such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), or Parkinson’s disease is challenging. Add completing everyday tasks, meeting ongoing responsibilities, and your illness’ debilitating symptoms into the mix, and oftentimes, people do not know where to turn for assistance.
Palliative care may be right for you. Granite VNA has a collaborative palliative care program with Concord Hospital that helps patients find relief from the symptoms and stresses of a serious illness.
If you want to discuss if a palliative care consult is right for you or your family member, please talk with your provider.
How We Help
Services
Palliative care can help patients of all ages during and after curative treatment at any stage of their illness. The goal is to improve quality of life while considering a patient’s unique needs.
Our palliative care core team includes a palliative care physician and/or nurse practitioner, nurse, social worker, and spiritual counselor. They partner with you, your loved ones, and your doctor from your primary treatment team to address your physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs to improve symptoms such as:
- Pain
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
- Depression
- Stress
What Our Team Does
- Identifies goals by honoring and respecting your values, wishes, and priorities
- Helps you in understanding your illness, prognosis, and treatment options
- Supports you in making difficult medical decisions
- Provides supportive counseling
- Identifies your interests and arranges activities related to those interests
- Provides help in navigating the healthcare system
- Assists in coordinating treatments from different healthcare providers
- Helps in advance care planning
Difference Between Hospice and Palliative Care
Hospice care focuses on comfort care for a patient’s remaining weeks or months at end of life. To qualify for hospice, a physician must certify that a patient has a terminal illness and has six months or less to live.
Palliative care provides an extra layer of support that does not necessarily exclude treatments aimed at reducing or curing an illness, and in many cases, is used to compliment treatments. Many of our team members are certified in hospice and palliative care.
Locations
Palliative care is available at:
- Concord Hospital
- Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Assisted living facilities
- Many primary care offices