DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) – Decatur Memorial Hospital will now offer a new way for patients and their families to further customize care for patients experiencing a prolonged hospital stay or chronic or terminal illness.
The new patient-centered model called Palliative care will focus its efforts on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of an illness.Â
Palliative care is not the same as hospice care, as palliative care is not dependent on a patient's prognosis.
Unlike hospice, it can be utilized at any point during a serious illness.Â
Palliative care can also be provided alongside curative care.
DMH's palliative care team helps patients and their loved ones establish healthcare goals, navigate the healthcare system, manage pain and symptoms, facilitate family meetings with the healthcare team, understand the disease process, and feel supported throughout the patient's course of treatment.
"With this added layer of support, we see a decrease in decisions needing to be made in the event of a crisis. In the long run, palliative care helps lessen the burdens or concerns of family members and the patient's loved ones as the patient's disease progresses," said Alicia Lehman, system director, Memorial Health System Advanced Care Management.
For more information about palliative care at Decatur Memorial Hospital, contact the MHS Advanced Care Management office at 217-876-4691 or visit DMHCares.com/care-treatment/palliative-care/.
