Issue link: https://blog.providence.org/i/1482620
8 | Health Matters: Providence Mission Hospital T here is more to medical care than treatments to prevent or cure disease. Your quality of life during treatment is as important to us as the success of your treatment. At Providence Mission Hospital, our palliative care department is an integral part of our commitment to care for our patients in body, mind and spirit. We asked Vrinda Bhasin, MD, to explain how patients can benefit from palliative care and how it differs from hospice. Dr. Bhasin specializes in outpatient palliative care at the Walter A. Craig Center for Palliative Care at Providence Mission Hospital. What is palliative care? Palliative care provides compassionate care for seriously ill patients by easing symptoms while maintaining the highest possible quality of life. Palliative care is appropriate for people of any age, at any stage of illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic or life-threatening. We treat people suffering from conditions such as cancer, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney failure, Parkinson's disease or other various serious illnesses. Is palliative care the same as hospice? No, palliative care is for patients at any point in their illness. Hospice is comfort-focused care at the last stage of life, when curative treatment is no longer an option. What types of support can palliative care provide? Palliative care can provide relief from symptoms such as pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, nausea, constipation, difficulty sleeping, depression and loss of appetite. It may also provide emotional support to patients and their family members when making difficult decisions regarding treatment options, as well as help to coordinate care and communication between health care providers. Palliative care will also work to preserve your choices and clarify your values and wishes. Is palliative care delivered to inpatients or outpatients? Providence Mission Hospital provides palliative care to patients throughout their hospitalization, but we also have an outpatient palliative care clinic that provides seamless patient care and support. How do you know what the right option is: palliative care or hospice? Palliative care can begin as early as the point of diagnosis and can continue through active treatment. Hospice is more appropriate when curative care has ended. Can patients receive palliative care support while getting treatment to control an illness? Absolutely. Palliative care supports the patient's treatment choices and proactively treats symptoms that arise to help optimize their quality of life. Is palliative care underutilized? Yes. Palliative care is an extra layer of support. The palliative care team, including specialized physicians, works with your primary physician to better care for you. Studies show that patients live longer, better lives with early palliative care involvement because of the focus on building patient autonomy and increasing quality of life. The aim is for patients to have a good understanding of their disease process, which helps them make better decisions and leads to the best possible outcomes. HOW DO I MAKE A PALLIATIVE CARE APPOINTMENT? We encourage patients to ask their physician for a palliative care consultation. Once an order for a consultation is received, our team will collaborate with the physician to schedule an appointment. We offer a variety of appointment options: • In-person clinic visits at the Walter A. Craig Center for Palliative Care • Telehealth visits • Inpatient consultations (if hospitalized at Providence Mission Hospital) Could palliative care ease your way? Call 949-365-2387. Improving Patients' Quality of Life Our palliative care program focuses on improving quality of life with symptom management and support. Dr. Vrinda Bhasin