Tulare County Palliative Care

When faced with a serious illness or life-altering health issue, in-home palliative care is often the best option for most patients. Kaweah Delta Home Health offers compassionate palliative care to effectively manage pain and increase patient comfort while their doctors continue to seek a cure. Our palliative care services help not just the patient, but their families as well. We offer family members ongoing emotional support while helping them find other community resources and educational tools.

While some associate palliative care with hospice care, the two are different in many ways. Palliative care is available to patients during a serious illness, regardless of their prognosis. Palliative care can also be delivered while the patient is still receiving treatment to cure their illness or go into remission. Finally, there is no set timetable for palliative care; it is based upon skilled nursing needs. When it’s determined a patient needs hospice care, Kaweah Delta Home Health can transition them into our hospice program when ready.

Who is a candidate for in-home palliative care?

Palliative care is available to anyone suffering from a potentially life-threatening disease or chronic illness, but still seeking a cure. This service is designed to effectively manage pain and discomfort, while giving patients the option of returning to the hospital for further treatment. Patients who most often seek palliative care suffer from such diseases as cancer, congestive heart failure, HIV/AIDS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, multiple sclerosis, kidney disease, and other chronic diseases.

Palliative Care Services:

• Management of pain and other symptoms including fatigue, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, or constipation.
• Working with patients and their families to discuss care options and long-term goals.
• In-depth education on the specific disease, its symptoms, process and effective medications.
• Coordinating care with the patient’s physician and other caregivers.
• Nurses on-call around the clock for consultations.
• Working with families to help them cope with the situation and discover the most effective ways they can assist.
• Serving as an educational resource for families and connecting them to local agencies and organizations that can help.
• Providing a seamless transition to Kaweah Delta Hospice when necessary.