|
Palliative Care Program Launched by VNS
Visiting Nurse Services of CT, Inc. (VNS) is pleased to announce that they have implemented a new Palliative Care Program that will be overseen by Lois Ravage-Mass, RN, an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist who also oversees VNS' Hospice at Home program. The goals of the Palliative Care program are to improve the quality of life of patients who have a primary diagnosis of cancer or have non-malignant diagnoses with a prognosis of six months or less and are not yet appropriate for hospice care. Pain and symptom management are fundamental to the program's approach, along with a focus on end-of-life planning, which may include structuring a smooth transition into hospice care.
According to Ravage-Mass, "What we have done is to take many of the most important aspects of hospice care, such as a full interdisciplinary approach to managing a patient's care—including nursing, therapy, counseling, and the use of volunteers to help the patient and family—and have made them available to patients at a much earlier juncture than a hospice program can provide. This ensures a greater level of end-of-life planning, enabling a patient and family members to have an enhanced sense of control and comfort."
All VNS nurses have been fully trained in the principles of Palliative Care, including all of the RNs in the agency's Central Intake Department who interface with physicians, hospitals and extended care facilities to arrange home care services for patients. These nurses will consult with the referral source to ensure that patients who could benefit from Palliative Care are identified and are recommended to receive these services. Because the principles of Palliative Care has been incorporated into the skill set of all VNS nurses, there is no additional cost to patients or third-party payers.
Palliative Care services will be available throughout VNS' entire service area of nearly 50 communities in Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties. For more info or to make a patient referral to the program, call the Central Intake Department at 800-551-8671.
|
|
