1. Patients with Life-limiting Illnesses
A patient can begin to receive hospice and palliative care right after diagnosis, if he is suffering from pain related to his illness or side effects from curative treatment. He can choose to combine hospice and palliative care with curative treatment, or choose only hospice and palliative care after his body stops responding to curative treatment.
Some common life-limiting illnesses include:
-
Advanced Cancers
- End-stage Lung disease
- End-stage Heart disease
- AIDS
- Advanced Stroke
- Advanced Dementia
- End-stage Liver disease
- Kidney failure
2. Patients with Degenerative Illnesses
A patient may have been diagnosed with a degenerative condition early in life, but the effects of the condition will only surface at an older age. Or a patient’s condition may be extremely painful, but not life-limiting on its own. These patients can receive hospice and palliative care to ease their pains.
Some common degenerative illnesses include:
3. Patients who are in Pain
A patient’s pain from his condition may be amplified by emotional and spiritual pains. Such pains are not easily controlled by pain-suppressing medications. Also, some pain suppressants leave patients in a constantly sedated state, which they may be unhappy with. Pain management techniques and counselling can help patients in these situations.
Chances of receiving hospice and palliative care
A patient’s chances of receiving hospice and palliative care are determined by need. It is not determined by any of the following factors:
- Age
- Race
- Religion
- Financial Status
- Citizenship Status
- Complexity of illness
For Making Referrals
To make a referral to one of the hospice and palliative care services, please print the Referral Form, and ask the patient’s doctor to complete and fax the form to the chosen hospice service.
Download Referral Form
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