Palliative Care for Quality of Life
Care During Chronic Illness
Living with chronic illness can cause you great difficulty in all areas of life – physical, emotional, spiritual and social. Palliative Care is comprehensive care that focuses on relieving pain, symptoms and stress for those who are living with a chronic, debilitating or serious illness.
MyMichigan’s Palliative Care program offers a home- and clinic-based program to help you cope with the symptoms of life limiting illness such as cancer. Our goal is to improve your quality of life, reduce hospitalizations, and help coordinate with other health care partners such as home care, hospice, rehabilitation, and alternative medicines. The program is designed to treat the whole person at any time during the disease process.
Our team is passionate about maintaining the highest quality of life for our patients.
Why is Palliative Care Important?
Palliative Care focuses on quality of life. Your serious illness may cause you to have several types of treatments such as radiation, chemotherapy or even surgical procedures. You may be experiencing depression, pain, nausea, loss of appetite, sleeping difficulties, fatigue, etc.
Our goal is to give you control over your own care by helping you define your goals and to understand your treatment options. We are committed to helping you to have your best quality of life.
Benefits of Palliative Care
To help you have your best quality of life by:
- Assisting and establishing your goals
- Pain and symptom management
- Facilitating family meetings
- Providing education
- Improving communication with multiple care teams
A Team Approach to Care
You are an active director of your palliative care team. The team members work together to understand your disease process and symptoms, develop an integrated plan of care and make sure your needs are met.
Team members:
- You – you’re an active member of your plan of care.
- Support Members – Any caregivers, family and friends who provide essential emotional, physical, financial or other assistance.
- Advanced Practice Practitioner – A nurse practitioner or physician assistant with advanced, specialized training and experience to assess and evaluate your chronic illness and symptom management. They will be your liaison to other team members and a case manager to coordinate your care plan. They will also provide oversight for medications, treatment and emotional support, as well as patient and family education.
- Physician – Palliative Care physician is available for consultation with other team members when needed.
- Social Workers – Help you and your family cope with social, emotional and financial impacts, provide counseling, education, community resources and assistance in planning for short- and long-term care.
Is Palliative Care Hospice Care?
Palliative Care is not the same as Hospice Care. Palliative Care is supportive care for you at any time during your serious illness. It can be provided alongside of your treatment care. Hospice Care is for those who are approaching the last stages of life.
How Can I Receive Palliative Care?
Please ask your physician, a hospital discharge planner or a home care nurse to make a referral for palliative care.
To request services and to speak with a member of our Palliative Care team, call (989) 633-1489.
Is Palliative Care Covered by Insurance?
Fees for providers, social work and other services are billed to insurance, if there is coverage. Patients without insurance coverage may pay privately for services, or in some cases may qualify for charitable funds.
