Logan Health Palliative Medicine
What is Palliative Care?
Palliative medicine - also called supportive care or palliative care - focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families with a patient and family-centered approach.
Palliative Medicine team helps by:
- Exploring patient/family understanding of diagnosis and disease process.
- Understanding the patient as a person and honoring his/her wishes regarding medical care.
- Assisting in shared decision-making between the patient, family, and medical team.
- Providing education about medical conditions, treatment options, and side effects.
- Treating complex pain and other burdensome symptoms.
- Counseling and support for patient families.
Eligibility:
Anyone with a serious or life-limiting illness is appropriate to receive palliative care. There are no age limitations, specific diagnoses, or life expectancy requirements. Palliative medicine compliments any disease-directed treatments that patients may choose and is not meant to replace primary or specialty providers.
Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover palliative care. If you have coverage concerns, please let our team know.
For a palliative care consult, talk to your primary care provider or nurse about a referral, or call us at (406) 751-6725.
Palliative Care team includes:
- A physician certified or experienced in hospice and palliative care
- Advanced practice nurses experienced in palliative care
- A clinical social worker skilled in complex care management
- A spiritual support specialist
- A registered nurse
