Helena's Premier Hospice and Palliative Care

Palliative care for cancer patients can start when you’re first diagnosed and can help you manage the physical and emotional symptoms of the illness. It’s available throughout your illness and can help ease the side effects of treatment and support you and your family. Hospice care is end-of-life care and focuses on patient comfort. Palliative care may be part of hospice care as a holistic approach to pain care. Neither palliative care nor hospice care are considered creative care.

Chronic illness palliative care can complement your traditional medicine care plan. Curative treatment focuses on curing the underlying cause of chronic illness or actively treating the symptoms. Palliative care, on the other hand, is intended to help ease the physical symptoms of a chronic illness, including pain management techniques. It’s supportive care for the patient and their family. Palliative caregivers can help you find community resources for emotional and financial support and provide practical guidance for your concerns.

First, evaluate your loved ones’ needs, so you know what kind of Helena, MT, elderly care services they require. Some seniors need help with activities of daily living, like doing chores, preparing meals, or paying bills. Others require assistance with personal care, including grooming, bathing, getting dressed, and, in some cases, inconvenience care. Look for caregivers that provide the services your loved one needs, then work with the care provider to find someone your senior feels comfortable with and trusts.

Senior home health care services are similar to treatments and care that someone would receive in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or assisted living. Many in-home treatments include physical and occupational therapy or speech therapy. Medication management, including diabetic care and blood glucose monitoring, are other common services. Your senior home healthcare provider can work with your loved one’s treatment team to determine which services can be administered in the home. Skilled nurses can evaluate the patient’s symptoms and treat certain conditions, like wound care or checking on the positioning of ports.

Yes, terminal illness hospice care can be provided in the patient’s home. Many people who cease curative care opt for the quality-of-life care and comfort that hospice provides and would prefer to spend their last days in comfortable, familiar surroundings. However, hospice care is also provided to patients in the hospital or, skilled nursing or memory care facilities. The intent of in-home hospice care is to soothe the “total pain” of the individual, giving them comfort and support and pain management therapy as needed. Hospice care includes the family, helping them support their loved one and providing grief and bereavement services.