Palliative Care - SpiriTrust Lutheran®

Palliative Care at Home

A serious or chronic illness can dramatically change your daily life. The in-home palliative care team at SpiriTrust Lutheran, Home Care & Hospice^® does not replace your doctor — it enhances your regular medical treatment. Through medication management, relaxation techniques and coping strategies, we help you control symptoms and carry on with everyday life. Our team will also help you better understand your condition so you feel confident when making decisions about your care.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people with chronic or serious illness, focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the client and the family.

Palliative care helps manage symptoms such as:

Pain
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Constipation
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Difficulty sleeping
Depression

We also address emotional, social and spiritual issues through psychosocial support and counseling to help you reach the best possible quality of life. As a partner with you, your family and your doctors, we will support you every step of the way so you gain more control over your health and your life.

How is Palliative Care Different from Hospice?

Palliative care and hospice care are different. Palliative care supports curative or life-sustaining treatment and the goal is quality of life along with quantity of life. In hospice, clients stop curative or life-sustaining treatment because the goal becomes quality of life instead of quantity of life.

Who Benefits from Palliative Care?

Anyone living with a chronic or serious illness who suffers with pain or other symptoms that interfere with everyday life could benefit from palliative care. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a chronic or serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.

These are some conditions that often benefit from palliative care:

Cancer
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Kidney disease
Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Consider Palliative Care

If you are considering palliative care, please ponder the following questions. If you answer yes to any of these questions, palliative care could benefit you or your loved one.

Do you or a loved one have one or more serious illnesses, such as:

Cancer
Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, lung disease
Kidney failure
Liver failure
Neurological diseases (e.g., ALS, Parkinson’s)
Dementia

Do you or a loved one have any of the following symptoms that impact quality of life?

Pain or discomfort
Shortness of breath
Fatigue
Anxiety
Depression
Lack of appetite
Nausea
Constipation

Have you or a loved one experienced any of the following:

Difficult side effects from treatment
Eating problems due to a serious illness
Frequent emergency room visits
Three or more admissions to the hospital within 12 months for the same symptoms

Do you or a loved one need help with any of the following:

Knowing what to expect regarding your illness
Knowing what programs and resources are available
Making medical decisions about treatment choices and options
Matching your goals and values to your medical care
Understanding the pros and cons (benefits/burdens) of treatments (e.g., dialysis, additional cancer treatments, surgery, etc.)

Do you or a loved one need help with:

Coping with the stress of a serious illness
Emotional support
Spiritual or religious support
Talking with your family about your illness and what is important to you

Service Area

We provide hospice services throughout south central Pennsylvania.

Learn more about services offered in your county.

Contact Us

To learn about the benefits of palliative care or schedule an in-home consultation, please call us at 855.211.0688 or send us a message online to connect with an Admission Care representative.