The John A. & Oscar Johnson Palliative Care Program
…medical care for the seriously ill in the home or place of residence.
What is Palliative Care?
Medical advances in the last 30 years have dramatically increased the ability of people to live longer with chronic illness like heart disease, cancer, lower respiratory diseases and stroke. At the same time we have learned that living longer does not always mean living better. Palliative Care is the medical specialty that has emerged to manage the medical, social and spiritual health of a person diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness.
Palliative Care…
• is home-based medical care for the seriously ill that is timely, coordinated and patient-directed.
• aims to keep patients comfortable and at home while improving the quality life and satisfaction of patients and their care-givers.
Palliative Care is appropriate for the seriously ill at any stage of the illness, including children, and those undergoing curative treatment. Working as a team, your physicians and a palliative care physician or nurse practitioner will create an individualized care plan that includes:
• More timely and effective comfort, pain and symptom management
• House calls and in-home care by our medical team
• Patient-centered decisions and medical care
• Coordinated care between primary and specialized physicians
• Community linkages through our social workers
• Spiritual and emotional care by our chaplains
Palliative Care is provided where the patient lives with round-the-clock access to physician, nurse, social work and spiritual care. When the patient is comfortable and at home, everyone’s quality of life improves.
What can you expect from Palliative Care?
The Palliative treatment team includes your primary care and specialized physicians, our board-certified palliative physician and nurse practitioner, palliative nurses, social workers and chaplains. Under their care the patient and family can expect:
• Assistance negotiating a complex medical and insurance landscape
• Fewer emergency room visits and unplanned hospital admissions
• Reduced patient, caregiver and family stress
• Improved quality of life, security and control for the patient and family
• Greater understanding of the illness, symptoms and care options
• Support and guidance with difficult treatment decisions
Specialized Pediatric Care
Caring for a seriously ill child is challenging for a family on many levels. Our dedicated pediatric team includes a palliative physician, registered nurse case manager, social worker and chaplain to help you care for your child and address their physical, emotional and psycho-social needs. Our team provides care and expertise that empower caregivers to make informed decisions and give your child the best possible quality of life.
Here’s the story of Riley, a Chautauqua County resident with a rare genetic disorder, and how palliative care improved his quality of life.
How does palliative care help primary care and specialist physicians?
The palliative care team supports frontline physicians by devoting time to intensive family meetings and patient and family counseling. It supports treating physicians by resolving questions and conflicts between families, patients and physicians on achievable goals for care. And it supports treating physicians by providing expertise in pain and symptom management.
What do I do next?
Call us to discuss your situation. If you or a loved one is seriously ill, stressed or frustrated with the course or complexity of the disease and its treatment, we may be able to help.
