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Palliative Care Mission Statement

Palliative care is life affirming and regards dying as a natural part of the human experience.
The goal of palliative care is to achieve the best possible quality of life through:
  • the relief of suffering
  • control of symptoms
  • the restoration of functional capacity while taking into account personal, cultural, religious values, beliefs, and practices of the individual patient and family concerned.

Interdisciplinary Approach:

Palliative care requires an interdisciplinary approach calling upon the expertise of, medical staff, nursing staff, care managers, social workers, chaplains and volunteers who in cooperation with family members and friends provide patient care.

Smooth Transitions between Hospital and Community Services:

Palliative care encompasses the full array institutional and community resources such as hospital, hospice, home care, long-term care, and adult day care to ensure a smooth transition between institutional settings and community services.

Five Principles of Palliative Care:

1. Palliative care respects the needs and choices of the dying person.

  • Respects your needs and wants as well as those of your family and other loved ones.
    Finds out from you who you want to help plan and give you care.
  • Helps you understand your illness and what you can expect in the future.
    Helps you look at your options concerning where you get health care, where you want to live and the kinds of services you want.
  • Helps you work together with your health care provider and health plan to solve problems.

2. Palliative care looks after the medical, emotional and religious needs of the dying person.

  • Acknowledges that dying is an important time for you and your family.
  • Offers ways for you to be comfortable and ease pain and other physical discomfort.
  • Helps you and you loved ones make needed changes if the illness gets worse.
  • Makes sure you are not alone.
  • Understands that family dynamics can be difficult when under stress especially when fears and painful feelings began to surface.
  • Forsters opportunities for you to share the things that are most important to you.
  • Helps you reflect upon what gives your life meaning so that you may finish the business of living and die at peace with yourself and others.

3. Palliative care supports the needs of loved ones

  • A philosophy of palliative care understands that families and loved ones need help, too.
  • Offers support services to family caregivers by providing counseling and respite opportunities.
  • Helps family and loved ones as they begin to come to terms with the grieving process.

4. Palliative care helps gain access to needed health care settings and providers.

  • By encouraging an interdisciplinary approach to patient care by bringing together doctors, nurses, pharmacists, pastoral caregivers, social workers and personal caregivers.
  • Appoints a care manager to ensure your care needs are met by ensuring a smooth transition between care settings.

5. Palliative care ensures quality care at the end of life.

  • Helps care providers learn about the best ways to care for dying people by providing education and needed pastoral and emotional support.
  • Seeks funding by private insures, health plans and government agencies.

Adapted Last Acts , care and caring at the end of life, Precepts of Palliative Care
George Hankins-Hull Spiritual Care Coordinator LRGHealthcare

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