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Five Signs Palliative Care is Right for Your Loved One

Palliative Care through Hospice of North Ottawa Community serves people in their homes, assisted living and skilled communities. We provide patients and their families relief of suffering from pain and many other symptoms that chronic life illnesses may cause. Our goal is to make you more comfortable by treating your symptoms when it may not be possible to treat or cure the underlying cause. Symptoms may include pain, nausea, or difficulty breathing.

Palliative Care can be provided at any stage of serious illness, even from the time of the initial diagnosis and you may receive aggressive care at the same time.

We specialize in medical care for people suffering life-limiting chronic illnesses. Symptoms may include pain, nausea, difficulty breathing, and behavior issues associated with Dementia or Alzheimers. Our focus is providing relief. Starting Palliative Care only requires a referral from your primary care physician. Once we have your referral we will schedule an evaluation with our Palliative Care nurse and physician. Think of us as a consultative service; we communicate and partner with your physician and collaborate on recommendations for treatment and provide an extra layer of support.

The benefits of Palliative Care are to obtain better control of symptoms, to help you better understand your disease and treatment, to improve communication with care providers, and to help coordinate the health care resources.

We talk together to determine your goals and quality of life. We will serve as your advisor at times, but also your friends.

Call Hospice of North Ottawa Community today to talk with our Palliative Care nurse, 616.846.2015.

FIVE SIGNS

1. You have or have been diagnosed with a serious illness: COPD, CHF, Heart Disease, Kidney Disease, a new Cancer Diagnosis, Dementia or Alzheimer’s.

2. The symptoms & suffering from these have become worse or unbearable.

3. Frequent Emergency Room visits.

4. Providing care to your loved one is overwhelming.

5. You need ongoing medical advice, encouragement and navigation