Getting a diagnosis for a serious, life-threatening illness is extraordinarily difficult to bear, and that’s where our Palliative Care Program comes in. As opposed to hospice care, which comes at the end of life, palliative care can come into play at the early stages of an illness, with a wide range of professionals offering care, comfort, and support to patients and their families throughout the process. Everything from enhancing quality of life to managing pain and stress can come into play, helping patients face the risks and burdens of their illness and treatment choices.
- Palliative care exists to provide support and care for persons with chronic and terminal illness so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible.
- Palliative care can be given at the same time as treatments meant to cure or treat the disease. Palliative care may be given when the illness is diagnosed, throughout treatment, during follow-up, and at the end of life.
Who is Eligible for Palliative Care?
Any patient living with a persistent or recurring medical condition that adversely affects their daily functioning or will predictably reduce their life expectancy and who meet the criteria for home health benefit. The patient’s primary physician and the palliative care medical director must authorize the start of palliative care. Patients with a wide range of diagnoses (such as cancer, dementia, chronic lung disease, congestive heart failure, and stroke) can be cared for by the palliative care team, if the disease is advanced.
The Difference between Palliative Care and Hospice
Both palliative care and hospice care provide comfort. But palliative care can begin at diagnosis, and at the same time as treatment. Hospice care begins after treatment of the disease is stopped and when it is clear that the person is not going to survive the illness.
The Doctor’s Choice Home Health Services Palliative Care Program is the leading provider of palliative care services in Los Angeles County. Our team works closely with the patient’s family and physician to meet the patient’s needs in the comfort of their own home, or in the residence of their choice. Services available include:
- Skilled Nursing Care
- Home Health Aides
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Spiritual Support
- Physician Services
- Medical Social Services
Our Palliative Care Team
We are committed to helping patients and their families make decisions about their own care. The team provides coordinated and comprehensive care to address the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual pain associated with their illness.
Our Mission
Doctor’s Choice Home Health Services Palliative Care Program is dedicated to providing exceptional family focused care for the medically complex patient. Palliative care pe rsonnel respect and respond to the unique differences in the family, caregiver, lifestyle, values and wishes. Our goal is to meet the patient’s medical needs in the nurturing environment of their home, minimize the impact of the patient’s condition on the family while respecting the role of the family in the care of the patient.
Who Pays for Palliative Care?
Palliative Care services are covered by the Medicare/MediCal home health benefits and some insurance policies.
Doctor’s Choice Home Health Services is a Joint Commission accredited, Medicare/Medicaid certified program which accepts patients without regard to age, gender, nationality, race, creed, sexual orientation, disability, or diagnosis.
To learn more about The Doctors Choice Home Health Palliative Care Program, call (818)593-7846
