Palliative Care with Three Oaks

Proudly offering palliative services across Texas – Three Oaks , Arizona – Sage and Utah – Elevation.

• Palliative care is a medical specialty that focuses on patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses.

• Palliative care prioritizes symptom management and quality of life, to enhance the well-being of those living with serious illnesses.

• Patients may be continuing with aggressive medical treatments such as chemotherapy or dialysis, home health care or skilled rehab therapy.

• Palliative care specialists have a holistic approach to the patient’s serious illness. They explore multiple domains of patient and family centered care to clarify the patient’s goals of ongoing medical care.

• Palliative Care specialists communicate recommendations back to the patient’s primary healthcare team to align patient centered goals of care to ongoing treatment plan.

It Benefits Individuals with the Following Conditions:

• Cancer

• Advanced COPD

• Advanced heart disease

• Organ failure

• Advanced dementia

Palliative care involves providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness, aiming to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family. It includes physical, emotional and spiritual support and symptom management, coordination of care and assistance with treatment decisions.

Because each patient has different needs and preferences, the exact services provided may vary. Palliative care services are designed around the patient’s priorities, which may include:

Three Oaks Palliative Care team includes:

• Nurse Practitioners who see patients in designated nursing facilities or in private residences within certain geographic areas
• Medical oversight by Physician Medical Director
• As needed access to Social Worker and Chaplain
They work with:
• The patient’s primary care physician and other medical specialists
• Family members and caretakers

What are the Benefits of Palliative Care?

Some specific options available to individuals receiving palliative care services include:

One major benefit of accessing palliative care is an improved quality of life for patients going through specialized medical care for a serious illness. Effective symptom relief helps improve overall comfort and lets patients achieve their overall goals for disease management. Patients with controlled symptoms may be able to remain in their homes longer and may experience fewer hospital visits. Palliative care services may also help reduce the overall cost of treatment and symptom management because they can result in early detection of potential health issues and give the patient tools to better evaluate treatment choices.

Coverage:

• Often covered by private insurance

• Co-pays/deductibles may apply

• Medicaid or Medicare may offer coverage

Services May Include:

• Symptom management related to serious illness (we do not offer chronic pain management)

• Patient and caregiver education

• Advance care planning

• Assistance with completion of medical-legal documents

• Monitoring illness progression and treatment side effect

• References to community resources

• Hospice education

The primary goal of palliative care is to assist people living with a serious illness who’ve chosen to continue treatment. Patients may begin receiving palliative care at any stage after a diagnosis, but starting early can help patients and families better manage a serious illness.

While palliative care and hospice care offer similar benefits, there are a few key differences. Unlike hospice care, which is intended for those who have decided to halt treatment and have an expected life span of less than 6 months, palliative care doesn’t require a cessation of treatment or a terminal diagnosis.

Because choices and priorities may shift over the course of a person’s illness, there’s always the option of switching the type of care received. Patients in palliative care may transition directly into hospice if they opt to halt treatment later. Likewise, hospice patients who choose to restart curative treatment may switch to palliative care.

If you or a loved one is in need of palliative care, reach out to Three Oaks Palliative Care today. We provide caring and quality palliative and hospice care services in Texas and Illinois.

Sage Palliative Care

Elevation of Utah Palliative Care