Central Florida Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles of the Villages
Related Articles
By Carmel Quigley, MD, Medical Director, Center for Comprehensive Palliative Care
Carmel Quigley, MD, is a Medical Director with the Center for Comprehensive Palliative Care and Hospice of Marion County.
All of us deserve to live as comfortably as possible, right? But when an accident, sudden illness or chronic condition takes hold of our lives, comfort may seem impossible or out of reach. In the past decade, hope for relief from acute pain and distressing symptoms has become a reality and within reach, thanks to a growing trend in modern medicine: palliative care.
Palliative Care? What is it?
The word “palliative” is defined as comforting, soothing, calming and reassuring. It should not be confused with quick fixes offered in so-called “pain clinic” settings. Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious conditions. Its focus is to provide relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress that entails—whatever the cause or diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors and advanced registered nurse practitioners, who work together with a patient’s primary doctor and/or specialist to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be offered along with curative treatment.
So how is palliative care different than popping pills?
“I don’t want to become an addict or a statistic in the opioid crisis!” These are common but unwarranted concerns. Because patients are carefully regulated by their physicians with consultations from experts at Marion County’s Center for Comprehensive Palliative Care, people can rest assured that their pain and symptoms can be managed (most within 24-48 hours) and their conditions monitored on an ongoing basis. Those with advancing illness can deal with their situation without the added burden of debilitating pain or life-altering symptoms that prevent them from enjoying daily life.
How did palliative care start in Marion County?
A decade ago, Dr. Segismundo Pares, then Senior Medical Director for Hospice of Marion County, attended a medical conference where he learned that 80% of hospital patients were suffering. Eighty percent! The study concluded those patients could benefit from palliative treatment. This fact applied not only to terminal patients, but to those who were not facing death. Dr. Pares determined to change that statistic…at least in Marion County. He began performing consults on hospital patients and single-handedly spearheaded the program, seeing 70 patients in two months. The positive results were astounding.
Thus, the Center for Comprehensive Palliative Care (CCPC) was launched under the auspices of Hospice of Marion County. As a consulting service to physicians, CCPC was awarded national recognition as a model program in its first year. Its success continues to grow, but the patients are the real beneficiaries.
How does someone get palliative care?
Well-informed consumers should know the facts. They can request palliative treatment if the outcome from surgery, accident or disease has left them in physical or mental distress. Palliative care improves health care quality in three significant ways. It:
1. effectively relieves physical symptoms and emotional suffering
2. strengthens patient-family-physician communication and decision-making
3. ensures well-coordinated care across healthcare settings
As a holistic approach to care, palliative medicine is about a person’s whole being, including family and loved ones. It is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurances. A consult is available through one’s own physician or by calling (352) 291-5881 for information about receiving services.
The Future of Palliative Care
The steady growth is primarily in response to the increasing number of people with serious and chronic illness. People are living longer, but not necessarily better. Their needs are many, placing overwhelming caregiving demands on families. We recognize their needs at CCPC and are addressing these challenges through a strong partnership between patient, family and our supportive palliative care team.
Today, CCPC is overseen by three medical directors and five advanced registered nurse practitioners, one of whom serves as the program’s manager. Together we will conduct more than 1,000 consults this year, in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and even private homes. We are also gratified to have recently earned the Joint Commission’s seal of approval, the national standard in quality healthcare. Palliative medicine is real medicine. And it can help make life worth living.
Learn how the Center for Comprehensive Palliative Care can help:
(352) 291-5881 or visit www.marionpalliativecare.com.
