Mercy Palliative Care Program
Comforting care for life’s difficult challenges
Whether a person has just been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, is in active treatment, has completed therapy or is near his end of life, the Mercy Palliative Care Program can provide compassionate, coordinated care that you and your loved ones deserve.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients who are faced with a progressive, chronic illness. The Mercy Palliative Care Program team works together to address the patient’s the physical, emotional and spiritual needs in conjunction with all other forms of appropriate medical treatment. The goal is to provide relief from pain and manage various symptoms including:
- Breathing difficulties
- Pain
- Nausea/vomiting
- Constipation/diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
Studies have shown that patients who receive palliative care as part of their overall medical treatment have significantly lower pain and discomfort.
Mercy Palliative Care Program vs. Mercy Hospice Care
The Mercy Palliative Care Program can be offered as an early intervention, along with life-prolonging therapies, during the course of an illness. Patients can receive palliative care while pursuing curative or life-prolonging medical treatment.
Mercy Hospice Care focuses primarily on comfort care versus curative treatments. It is appropriate for patients with a terminal illness, who have a life expectancy of six months or less, or patients who are ready to discontinue life-prolonging therapies.
The Mercy Palliative Care Program team
In the treatment of illnesses, it is common to have several different doctors treating separate conditions. A palliative care doctor often acts as the conductor, orchestrating the care between several specialists to produce care that is appropriately coordinated. The palliative care team may include:
- Palliative care physicians
- Palliative care nurses
- Trained resource nurses
- Nursing assistants or home health aides
- Social workers
- Chaplains
- Discharge planners
- Respiratory therapists
- Physical and occupational therapists
- Pharmacists
All team members have expertise in treating complex pain and symptoms. We are here to help coordinate family meetings, discuss goals of care, and facilitate transitions to hospice or other appropriate care settings.
Eligibility
Palliative care is an option for all patients, regardless of age, who may be suffering from a serious illness or facing complex medical decisions. The Mercy Palliative Care Program may be especially helpful if you or a loved one:
- Have cancer, heart disease, AIDS, liver, lung, kidney problems and/or dementia
- Are seriously ill and facing questions about the future
- Have difficult medical decisions to make and want help thinking them through
Care setting
The Mercy Palliative Care Program is an inpatient consultation service provided at Mercy Hospital Janesville. Transitional care to Mercy Home Health Care or Mercy Hospice Care (or other local referral sources) is an option for continuity of care.
Caregiver support
Mercy Health System offers caregiver support groups and other forms of counsel to aid patients and their family through this difficult time. Please inquire for more information.
Referral information
Anyone can initiate a referral to the Mercy Palliative Care program. An assessment will be performed to determine eligibility and the patient’s primary doctor will aide in making the final determination.
To initiate a referral or for more information about the Mercy Palliative Care Program, please call (608) 756-8248.
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