Comfort Care Program

 

What is comfort care?

 

Comfort care is an area of healthcare that helps patients who are seriously ill maintain the best possible quality of life.  Comfort means to make less severe or more bearable.  Thus, comfort care is for those whose illness requires adequate information to make clear and rational decisions related to this illness or combination of illnesses.  The goal of comfort care is to keep patients as active as they can be so that they can cope with their illness.  Patients may receive comfort care while also receiving aggressive treatment for their illness.

 

• Provides emotional and spiritual support for patients.

• Educates patients, answers questions regarding patients’ rights.

• Assists with living wills and health care power of attorney issues; answers specific questions.

• Treats pain and other symptoms

• Coordinates care among specialists and others.

• Helps patients find and access services that they need outside hospitals or SNC.

• Helps physicians and hospital discharge planners to work with patients to prevent frequent hospital re-admissions and /or frequent ER visits.

• Supports families and caregivers.

 

Why comfort care?

 

Studies show that comfort care improves quality of life for seriously ill patients.  By offering expert medical, emotional, spiritual and practical support, comfort care helps patients feel better and remain more active and independent while living with an illness.

Comfort care is designed specifically to meet the needs and wishes of each patient and includes patients and their families in decisions about care.

 

Who is appropriate for comfort care?

 

Patients may be any age and in any stage of illness.  Anyone with a serious illness (such as heart and lung disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, or other long-term or advanced illness) can benefit from comfort care.

 

 

Who can refer patients for comfort care?

 

The patients’ physician, nurse, social worker, clergy, family member, or the patient himself may ask for a consultation or counseling session with the comfort care team.