Palliative Care
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a medical specialty focused on improving quality of life for patients with an illness for which cure is limited. Palliative care is not limited to end-of-life care, but also focuses on providing comfort and relief from suffering throughout a person’s illness, even while other treatments are taking place. Palliative care support is available to all seriously ill patients and their families.
Palliative care’s mission
- To provide the highest level of care to your loved one so they can live as fully and comfortably as possible
- To control pain, anxiety, difficulty with breathing, or manage other symptoms
- To communicate clearly and frequently with your family
- To reduce the emotional stress on you, your loved one and your family by connecting you with people who can help
“What else can I do for my loved one?”
We encourage you to bring photos or personal items to remind your loved one of home. To ensure items will not disrupt patient care, please check with the care team.
Talk to your loved one. Even though he or she may be unable to respond, he or she may know or feel your presence at some level. Touch is very healing. Ask the team how you can best hold your loved one’s hand.
Think about how your loved one would want to be treated and what you can do to help. We strongly encourage you to ask questions and voice any concerns with your care team.
Unless given other instructions, hospital personnel provide life-sustaining procedures to patients. These can include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), artificial hydration and nutrition, antibiotics, and breathing tubes. In cases of terminal conditions a physician can provide the healthcare team written instruction to cease or withdraw life-sustaining treatment.
Terms you may hear…
Advance Directives – There are two ways people can plan in advance for the kind of care they would want if incapacitated. Anyone making decisions for someone else’s care should know the person’s wishes and consider what gives his or her life meaning.
- Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is a legal document in which the patient appoints someone to make decisions about medical care if he or she cannot make those decisions.
- A living will is a document a patient uses to express his or her wishes for medical treatment if unable to communicate or make those decisions.
Care team – Your care team may include an intensive care physician, an internal medicine physician who focuses on inpatient needs, a physician in residency, a registered nurse, case manager, respiratory therapist, pharmacist, and physical, occupational, or speech-language pathologist. The team will visit with you and your loved one to discuss changes in her or his condition, answer questions and address any concerns you may have.
Family spokesperson – We ask that you designate one family spokesperson. This person will be the main contact with the care team, serving as the liaison between the team and the rest of the family. This ensures you are receiving accurate, consistent, up-to-date information.
Goals of care – You, your family, the patient and the care team will discuss hopes, expectations, and goals for your loved one’s medical treatment. In order to determine the best course of action, your doctor will explain the diagnosis, how it will affect your loved one, and possible treatment options.
Care and support
Perhaps no time is more difficult than when a loved one faces a serious illness. We know this can be very stressful on families. We encourage you to use resources available to you such as a chaplain, a case manager, an emergency room counselor, the Prayer/Meditation Room, or the Healing Garden.
Do not forget to take care of yourself. Both you and your loved one require rest, quiet time, and nutrition. Poor nutrition and lack of sleep leave you vulnerable and decrease your ability to think clearly. You may feel the impact of stress more strongly. Taking care of yourself assures that you can be there for your loved one and your family—they may need you too.
Our commitment to you
The Critical Care team recognizes that clear and consistent communication is an important part of helping you and your loved one understand what happens in an intensive care unit.
As part of our commitment, you can expect daily updates on your loved one’s condition. Family conferences can be conducted in a private, comfortable setting where you can discuss your loved one’s condition and treatment plan, and talk about any questions or concerns you have.
Family Hours
We have open family visitation hours. When you arrive at the Critical Care Unit, please check in at the nursing station to be sure your loved one is ready to receive visitors.
