Hunterdon Palliative Care
Helping Patients and Families throughout Serious Illness
Hunterdon Palliative Care is specialized care that focuses on the whole person. It recognizes that people living with serious illness need expert symptom management, as well as spiritual and emotional support. Palliative care provides relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness, no matter what the diagnosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family.
The Goals of Palliative Care
- Preventing and relieving suffering for anyone affected by serious illness.
- Helping patients and families with the psychological, social, and spiritual concerns arising from a serious illness.
- Ensuring that the medical care patients receive is in accord with their preferences and wishes.
What You Can Expect from Palliative Care
- Relief of distressing symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and fatigue.
- Help with stress and emotional distress.
- Improved ability to carry on with your daily life.
- Help in understanding your medical condition and your choices for medical care now and in the future.
- Support for family members.
FAQs
If you have a chronic illness with challenging symptoms, you may benefit from Palliative Care. The interdisciplinary team assists the patient and family with symptom management and goals of care to help the patient improve their quality of life.
No. The Palliative Care Team works with your doctors throughout the course of your treatment.
Palliative Care can begin at any time during a serious illness when the patient or family is suffering or having difficulty coping.
No. Palliative Care helps people manage the pain, symptoms, and stress of illness at any point in the disease process. Hospice helps those in the final phase of a serious illness. Should hospice care become appropriate, the Palliative Care Team can help make that transition, if desired.
Most insurance plans cover all or a portion of the Palliative Care treatment received. A social worker can speak with you about any financial concerns.
For patients in the hospital, a Palliative Care consult may be requested through the physician in charge. For outpatients, please call 908-237-7018 to set up an appointment.
Hunterdon Medical Center’s Home Health Services staff of nurses, therapists, social workers, and home health aides will work with you to find ways to help you or your loved one feel better, manage a chronic illness, or recover sooner. They can answer your questions about medication or symptom management, therapeutic regimens, and better nutrition. For more information, call (908) 788-6138.
Caregiver Support Groups
Hunterdon Behavioral Health offers monthly meetings to caregivers of older adults. These meetings provide great opportunities to meet with other caregivers and to discuss common topics of concern. Caregiver support meetings take place in a variety of locations around Hunterdon County.
