As you spend more time with family and friends during the holidays, you might notice changes in your aging loved ones. Knowing when it’s time for additional care can be difficult. Four Seasons is here to help. In this blog, we provide 8 signs your loved one may be ready for Palliative or Hospice care. You can contact Four Seasons at any time to talk with a team member about your or your loved one’s care needs.
8 Signs of Advancing Symptoms
- Frequent hospitalization
- Reduced appetite
- Sudden, unexplained weight loss
- Cognitive challenges including memory problems, problem-solving, changes in speech, or difficulty finding words
- Increased pain or agitation
- Increased need for medication or other types of intervention
- Shortness of breath
- Inability to complete daily, routine tasks
If these symptoms resonate with you, call Four Seasons today.
Palliative vs Hospice Care: What’s the Difference?
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative Care is not hospice. Rather, it is an approach to care providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious, often life-threatening illness. Some common illnesses treated by our Palliative Care Team include Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of Dementia, Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Heart Failure, Liver or Kidney Failure, COPD, and many others.
Patients of any age, including Pediatric patients, who are living with a life-limiting, serious illness like Alzheimer’s or other types of Dementia, Cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, Heart Failure, Liver or Kidney Failure, COPD, and others who may still be seeking curative, life-prolonging treatment. There are criteria that the patient must meet to be enrolled in Palliative Care. You can ask your medical provider or contact us to talk with our Care Access team.
Some of the goals of palliative care include:
- Prevent frequent burdensome hospitalizations
- Optimize quality of life for you and your family
- Help you better understand your condition and your care choices
- Empower you and your family in managing complex illnesses
- Provide expert symptom management
- Improve your ability to go through medical treatments
- Allow extra time for communication
- Help in navigating the healthcare system
This specialized care helps you carry on with your daily life. You can expect relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping.
What is Hospice Care?
When curative treatment stops, it’s time to call Hospice. Involving Hospice Care earlier means a better quality of life for you and your loved one.
Hospice Care is specialized medical care providing pain and symptom management, and emotional and spiritual support to patients of all ages (including Pediatric Patients) who no longer seeking curative treatment and for whom life expectancy is 6 months or less. This care is provided by an interdisciplinary team of Four Seasons hospice professionals including Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, CNAs, Social Workers, Chaplains, a Music Therapist, Volunteers, and other specialists who work together with your primary health care provider. Four Seasons is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help you and your loved ones navigate your care needs.
Hospice Care may increase the quality of life and provide comfort to patients of any age with a life expectancy of 6 months or less and who are no longer seeking curative, life-prolonging treatment. Four Seasons Hospice Care provides care to individuals of all ages, including pediatric patients.
Some goals of Hospice Care include:
- Support patient and family goals and wishes
- Manage pain, symptoms, and medications
- Provide comfort care
- Facilitate complex decision making through a supportive interdisciplinary team
- Provide Grief Support and Spiritual Care for Family members
