> Home > About Us > News/Events

February 7, 2008

Palliative care expanding to nursing homes

An approach by a dedicated health care team at Haywood Regional Medical Center for people suffering from a serious illness is expanding.

Palliative care, which is supportive care for the patient and family regarding treatment goals and symptom management, is expanding into extended care facilities in the county March 1.

Palliative care is any form of medical care or treatment that concentrates on reducing the severity of disease symptoms, rather than providing a cure. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering and to improve quality of life for people facing serious, complex illness.

“An inpatient palliative care program was initiated at Haywood Regional in 2002,” said Jenny Williams, hospice program manager at Haywood Regional Medical Center.

Although palliative care has been emerging over the past decade, the service has grown at a slightly more conservative pace in Haywood County, compared to larger communities, she said.

Those involved with Haywood Regional Medical Center’s hospice program recognized the need for palliative care after looking at statistics regarding the number of people dying without hospice care, Williams said.

“We wanted to offer some way of bridging that gap,” she said.

Those efforts have been tremendously beneficial, she added.

“We’ve seen enormous response from physicians, patients and their family members. The need for palliative care has definitely been established,” Williams said.

“However, we know there are people living with life-threatening diseases in nursing homes who deserve the same kind of palliative support,” she said. “Nursing homes do a great job of providing care, and we can serve as an adjunct because of our experience in dealing with spiritual suffering, goals of care and loss of hope. In addition to this, we can provide bereavement support to the family for up to 13 months.”

An interdisciplinary team consisting of a doctor, a social worker, chaplain, volunteers and bereavement counselor provides palliative care.

“The social worker meets with the patient and family to discuss goals of care and then initiates a call to Dr. Brummer, who discusses treatment options and symptom management with the patient and family members. A chaplain and volunteer may visit if requested and bereavement follow-up is provided as appropriate. If hospice care is determined to be the best option, that referral can be initiated in this process,” Williams said.

Anyone can be referred to palliative care, but a physician’s order is required.

Palliative care is appropriate for a patient who has frequent repeat admissions for the same life-threatening diagnosis or a diagnosis for a disease or illness that is getting progressively worse, such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, heart, lung or liver disease — just to name a few.

“Aside from long-term illnesses, however, palliative care may also be appropriate after an accident. For example, a victim of a car accident may sustain life-threatening injuries requiring a family to make difficult decisions regarding life-sustaining measures,” Williams said.

“In this instance, the palliative care team can work to help bring clarity to treatment goals and provide the counseling needed at such a trying time,” she said.

The focus of the team is to optimize the patient’s comfort, understanding of the situation as it affects the future, and support to those making hard decisions, Williams said.

Palliative care may be provided in the hospital and in long-term facilities, beginning in March; but in the future may also be provided in a person’s home if the need and response to palliative care continues to grow, she said.

Care providers are Dr. Jane Brummer of Extended Care Physicians, Kathy Odvody, bereavement counselor Claire Stoeckel, and volunteers Brenda Smith and Anita Filardi.

The care provided is not intended to replace the services customarily provided by facility professionals, Williams said.