Palliative Care

What Is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is an evidence-based medical treatment that has been shown to significantly lower pain and discomfort, improve patient outcomes and boost patient and family satisfaction.

The palliative care team handles intensive patient/family communication and assists with clarification regarding goals of care.

Palliative medicine is a medical specialty led by an interdisciplinary team of physicians and nurse practitioners that supports the attending physician’s care of patients with serious and life-threatening illnesses.
 
What Is It Not?

Palliative medicine is NOT in place of curative care.
Patients benefit from palliative care before, during and after beneficial, curative or life-prolonging care.

Palliative care is NOT the same as hospice. Palliative care is offered at any stage of illness, while hospice care is appropriate for people with terminal illnesses, at the last stages of life and a prognosis of six months or less and for whom curative or life-prolonging therapies are not effective.

The palliative care team does not provide in-home nursing personal care services. We can assist families in seeking resources available from the community.

Criteria for Choosing Palliative Care

     •  Life-limiting with a poor prognosis
     •  Uncontrolled physical symptoms despite
         standardized treatment
     •  One or more serious comorbidities/diagnosis
     •  Need assistance with decision making as it relates to
         treatment options
     •  Frequent hospitalizations with 2 or more in a 30-day     
         time span
     •  Complex social support needs

Who is on the Palliative Care Team

Physician specialist
A doctor with specialized training in palliative care.  It is the responsibility of the physician to develop a personalized care plan for each patient and to ensure that the patient, the patient’s family, caregivers, and the patient care team understand the care plan.  Dr. Valeriana Esteves-Jute oversees the Palliative Care program as is the Medical Director for Scotland Regional Hospice.
 
Nurse practitioner & registered nurse
Nurses and nurse practitioners help patients set goals, create an evironment of pain relief, make advance care plans, encourage family communication, and to understand medications - Barbara Powe, NP.

Social Worker
Social Workers have the training to help meet the social, emotional, and psychological needs of the patients and their families - Jamie Haywood, MSW.

Chaplain
The palliative care chaplain provides spiritual support for patients, families, and caregivers.  Their work focuses on spirituality, not religion, and on helping people navigate the intense, complex emotions associated with serious and terminal illnesses.  The services of a chaplain are entirely optional.  Garry McMillan serves as the chaplain for Scotland Regional Palliative Care and Scotland Regional Hospice.

Scotland Regional Palliative Care
610 Lauchwood Drive, Laurinburg

(910)276-7176