Improving Your Quality of Life
Palliative care focuses on relieving the pain and symptoms of an advanced illness, such as cancer, heart failure, or another life-limiting condition. The purpose of palliative care is to make you more comfortable and improve your quality of life.
The Benefis palliative care team provides relief, information, and support to you and your family. Our team – which includes physicians, advanced practice nurses, social and emotional support, and chaplains – is trained to meet the needs of people living with serious illness.
How Palliative Care Can Help
Our palliative care team works with your primary healthcare provider and other members of your medical team to meet your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. We offer compassionate guidance and support to make sure you have the services and resources to enhance your well-being, including:
- Assistance with healthcare coordination and planning
- Education for family members and other members of your healthcare team
- Emotional support for you and your family
- Information about your illness and guidance to help you make well-informed healthcare decisions
- Relief from pain and other symptoms of the disease or its treatment, such as difficulty sleeping, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, depression, and anxiety
How To Receive Palliative Care
You can receive palliative care while you’re in the hospital, at a skilled nursing facility, or at home. Palliative care can ease symptoms and stress throughout your illness, and we recommend you consider requesting a consulation early in your care.
Outpatient Palliative Care – HOPE Program (Healing Opportunities for improving the Patient Experience)
Benefis Health System strives to provide a systematic program throughout the Health System and community where patients who have complex medical conditions can receive holistic comfort care. Emphasis will be placed all aspects of social determinants of health that will promote the best quality of life for patients and their families. For more information on this program, please contact (406) 771-6400 and ask to speak to the out-patient palliative care team.
Inpatient Palliative Care & Sletten Oncology Palliative Care
While hospitalized or undergoing cancer care, your provider may request a consultation or follow-up visits with this team. The acute Palliative Care team works to meet your physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs to promote quality of life. For more information on this program, please contact at (406) 455-4694 and ask to speak to a member of the acute care and oncology palliative team.