Simple illnesses might be cured with mom’s chicken soup, a day of rest, and a few episodes of The Price is Right. But when we get sick—really sick—it takes more than a bag of tricks to get better. When you combine the challenges of aging with serious illnesses, that bag of tricks can be hard to come by.
Easy access to healthcare becomes very important as we age and require more support. However, finding care solutions through endless medical appointments and tests and shuffling around to different providers who are not under the same roof can add to the stress of getting well.
Legacy Medical has added an easy button for the residents of senior living communities! They bring the care where it’s needed the most—at home.
They offer primary and express medical care right where their patients live. This helps patients not only to live but to thrive in their homes. Based on a high demand for treating those with serious illnesses, Legacy Medical has expanded and will now offer palliative care.
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with severe illnesses like cancer or heart failure. It focuses on treating the symptoms of a condition to provide pain relief to help improve a patient’s quality of life. It is meant to enhance a person’s current care and is not intended to replace personal care services at senior living. Palliative care is coverable under most insurance plans, such as private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare, and it can also be paid for out of pocket.
This type of care is often a lesser-known service, frequently confused with hospice. Palliative care differs from hospice because it’s for anyone at any stage of their chronic or severe illness. Hospice care is something patients can receive at the end of their lives once all possible cures have been exhausted.
Who Can Benefit from Palliative Care?
Anyone living with a serious illness, such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, and many other types of illnesses, may receive this care. Palliative care can be helpful at any stage of a disease, but it’s most beneficial for patients soon after they’re diagnosed.
When palliative care starts in the beginning stages of an illness, it can add peace of mind for residents and their families. It can also help them avoid unnecessary travel to hospitals, clinics, and emergency rooms, where they will often wait for a considerable amount of time before receiving treatment. Palliative care at senior living adds comfort.
Which Services Are Offered Through Palliative Care?
Treatment of Physical Symptoms Including:
- Pain
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite and nutritional needs
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue/insomnia
- Constipation
- Anxiety
- Depression
Care Management for Patients, Families, and Caregivers
- Explaining treatment options
- Providing education
- Coordinating resources for additional non-medical services
- Advocating and communicating patient’s wishes to medical professionals
- Emotional support resources
Through Legacy’s palliative care program, patients receive additional care at any stage of a severe, chronic, or terminal illness. They focus not only on managing and curing the physical symptoms of the disease and the side effects that can come from treatment, but they also work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals to offer emotional, social, and spiritual support to patients, caregivers, and families.
Palliative care within senior living communities provides a wrap-around approach to enhance the support residents already receive to live comfortably. If you or a loved one could use senior living services with the added benefits of healthcare on-site, please get in touch with us at info@legacymedical.com. If you’re in the Grand Forks area, you can also explore palliative care services at our primary care clinic!
