During a serious illness, palliative care can help you feel better in mind and body.

It is a special kind of care for those experiencing an advanced, progressive illness. Palliative medicine focuses on treating symptoms and helping you reach a better quality of life.

What is palliative care?

Palliative care provides relief from disease-related symptoms, including:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Pain

Our skilled caregivers also help you deal with emotional, spiritual and social concerns.

The result of palliative care is a well-planned, complete treatment that takes care of your present conditions and also anticipates your future needs.

Palliative care settings

Ballad Health offers palliative care in a variety of settings:

• Home visits
• Inpatient
• Nursing home
• Outpatient

Your palliative team

Depending on your needs, you may get help from several types of professionals, such as:

• Doctors – Diagnose and treat your condition
• Nurses – Provide essential, everyday medical care
• Chaplains – Offer spiritual and emotional support
• Home health aides – Tend to your basic health needs at your home
• Social workers – Connect you and your family with community resources that make life easier
• Pain management specialists – Reduce discomfort
• Psychologists – Help you develop positive ways of thinking, feeling, acting and managing relationships
• Rehabilitation specialists – Help you more easily move, speak, swallow or complete daily tasks

Conditions we can treat

You may benefit from palliative care if you have any serious medical condition, including:

• Advanced lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pulmonary fibrosis
• Cancer
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• Kidney disease
• Neurological disorders, such as dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or ALS

Really, having any advanced illness with management needs could make palliative care a good option for you.

How palliative care differs from hospice

Ask for palliative care during any advanced illness, even as you receive medical treatment.

Seek hospice care only when you’re nearing the end of life and no longer receiving medical treatment to make the disease stop or slow down.

Insurance coverage for palliative care

Most insurance plans cover palliative care. Call your insurance provider to make sure.

Learn more

Please call Ballad Health – 800-327-5447 – to find out more about palliative care services in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.