Palliative care is a comprehensive
approach to treating patients with serious illnesses.
Its main focus
is to keep patients free of pain and other distressing symptoms, and
to minimize suffering by addressing a person’s psychological and
spiritual needs, as well as their physical discomfort.
Palliative care can
be provided in the hospital, at home, or in a setting specializing in
such care. The duration may be long-term over several years, or
short-term, lasting days or weeks. Palliative care may include
chemotherapy or radiation for pain control. It is important to discuss
that the goal of such therapy is not for treatment or cure, but to
relieve pain and discomfort.
Palliative care also:
¢
Provides comfort and support to individuals and their families who are
facing a life threatening, chronic or other serious illness.
¢
Emphasizes relief from pain and other serious illness.
¢
Seeks maximization of function.
¢
Supports advance care planning.
¢
Integrates the psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of health
care.
¢
Incorporates traditional concerns of hospice, helping individuals live
as fully and as comfortable as possible.
¢
Helps families cope during the illness and bereavement period.
Palliative care is not only for those who are terminally ill or dying.
Anyone with a chronic illness can benefit from palliative care.
Nonetheless, much of palliative care is
care at the end of life, although the “end of life” may extend from a
few hours to many years. This is one way palliative care differs from
hospice care, since to be accepted into hospice, a person must have a
prognosis of six months or less. All hospice care is palliative, but
not all palliative care is hospice.
Palliative care can be initiated at any point and is not limited to
the final days of an advanced illness.
To receive more information, please
call Laura Nutzell or Melissa Egan at 417-820-2492.
Patient Rights
Patient's rights are
a list of rights to ensure that the company, individual, or
institution that is providing his/her care will honor the quality of
care, respect, and decision-making processes. These rights will be
given to the patient and family before care begins. It is similar to a
contract that provides protection to the patient and family and
informs them of services and limitations of the caregiver(s).
¢
Advance Directive - ENGLISH (196K)
¢
Advance Directive - SPANISH (276K