Palliative Care Through Paradigm Health
Paradigm Health’s palliative care program is paving the way as an integral and supportive partner in Central Indiana for patients and families.
Our priority is a community-based approach to a patient’s overall plan of care and a commitment to collaborate with all members of an individual’s medical team to manage and lead caregiving based upon a specific set of symptoms.
Palliative Care Supports Your Wishes
We Are Focused on Your Comfort
As an industry leader and innovator, Paradigm Health was the first in the nation to receive accreditation by
the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) for our community-based approach to palliative care.
Our Community-Based Approach
Palliative care is a specialty of medicine focused on pain, symptom and stress management of a serious illness through chronic disease management. This focus of care is an extra level of support to increase quality of life and allows patients to remain at home—or wherever they call home—alleviating multiple trips back and forth to the hospital. Anyone who is severely or chronically ill in search of pain and symptom management can benefit from palliative care.
- It is offered to patients who are seriously ill to be used alongside curative and other treatments.
- It does not replace care by a family care physician, but rather addresses symptoms and care management.
- It is not dependent on a set criteria or treatment options and can provide patients and families with assistance for advanced care planning and help guide goals of care discussions.
Working Together as a Team
As part of Paradigm Health’s community-based, holistic approach to palliative care, having an advocate to help partner, support and lead a patient’s palliative care can be valuable and allow for a collaborative and streamlined approach to chronic disease management and serious illness pain management. Providing services to Central Indiana and beyond, Paradigm Health acts as an extra layer of hands-on care to assist in patient care but does not replace a patient’s primary care physician or duplicate efforts.
Benefits of Our Team Approach:
- A community-based approach to palliative care can allow a Paradigm Health nurse practitioner to pull everything together for the patient.
- It can streamline, collaborate, organize and facilitate resources but does not replace the primary care physician or any specialists. It can aggregate the information for the patient to create a unique plan of care goals for each patient.
- Allows a Paradigm Health licensed clinical social workers to focus on supportive counseling to assist patients in understanding and coping with the changes in their medical status or to assist in advanced care planning.
- Strengthens the lines of communication between all medical clinicians to make sure all caregiving is collaborative and shared.
- Is available for patients no matter where they call home.
Palliative Care at Home
Paradigm Health palliative care is an extra level of support to increase quality of life and allows the patient to remain home—or wherever they call home—alleviating multiple trips back and forth to the hospital and streamlining doctor’s appointments and coordinating resources. Palliative care is a specialty of medicine focused on pain and symptom management, and the stress of a serious illness and chronic disease management. Anyone who is severely of chronically ill in search of pain and symptom management can benefit from a community-based, holistic approach to palliative care.
Palliative vs Hospice Care
Palliative care is often a step toward hospice care, but it is not the same as hospice care. Patients on palliative care are within one to five years of needing hospice care while hospice patients are typically seeking end-of-life care within the last six months of life. Knowing the difference between hospice and palliative care can be confusing. For Paradigm Health patients, they can rest assured that their palliative care can transition to hospice care seamlessly should it be needed in their continuum of care.
Why Palliative Care?
Paradigm Health’s community-based approach to palliative care is focused on streamlining a patient’s care. Palliative care does not replace a family care physician but acts as an extra layer of support. We are proud to be Hoosiers caring for Hoosiers working with local families to maximize quality of life through compassionate caregiving in a personal setting no matter where our patients call home.
Frequently Asked Palliative Care Questions
For more information, please feel free to contact us for answers to your palliative care questions.
Who can receive palliative care?
Anyone who is severely or chronically ill can benefit from palliative care.
How do I know if palliative care is right for me?
Palliative care may be right for you if you suffer from pain, stress or other symptoms due to a serious illness. Serious illnesses may include cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and more. Palliative care can be provided at any stage of illness and along with treatment meant to cure you.
What can I expect from palliative care?
You can expect relief from symptoms such as pain shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Palliative care helps you carry on with your daily life. It improves your ability to go through medical treatments. It helps you better understand your condition and your choices for medical care. In short, you can expect the best possible quality of life.
Where can a patient receive palliative care?
Palliative care services are provided in whatever setting the patient calls home: private home, nursing home, assisted living, etc.
Does palliative care replace my primary care physician?
No. Palliative care does not replace current medical care, rather, it is a specialty consultative medical practice that addresses symptoms and care management. Paradigm Health nurse practitioners maintain regular contact with a patient’s primary physician toprovide collaborative and consistent care.
How is palliative care paid for?
Palliative care is billed under Medicare Part B, or through commercial insurance, as a professional service (like a physician’s visit). Some insurance plans may require a co- pay. Your palliative care provider will disclose any required co-pays before providing services.
How often does my nurse practitioner visit?
Frequency of visits is determined by clinical need and medical necessity and varies from patient to patient. Most patients are seen every 30-60 days if stable. Patients have access to our triage line 24/7 for symptom management needs.
Who provides palliative care?
Palliative care is provided by a holistic team including palliative care doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical social workers, and other specialists.
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