The Advanced Illness Program
The Advanced Illness Program, offered through the Home Care division of Rockingham Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, utilizes the Hospice Team to furnish a comprehensive, medically-directed interdisciplinary team of professionals to support and care for patients and their families with progressive disease and symptom control needs. Care is provided in the patient’s home, using the principles of palliative care to treat the patient as a whole, while offering necessary support to family members and caregivers.
The Advanced Illness Program is available for patients who would otherwise qualify for Hospice services however current goals of care have not yet reached the Hospice philosophy
Participating in the Advanced Illness Program allows patients and their families a smooth transition from Advanced Illness home care to hospice care, when appropriate, since the care providers remain unchanged. It is not however required that a patient transition from Advanced Illness to Hospice if the goals of care and patient wishes are to remain with Advanced Illness.
The basic elements of the Advanced Illness Program include:
- Care of the patient and family
- Reducing or controlling pain and debilitating symptoms such as nausea, fatigue or anxiety
- 24 hour on-call availability
- Skilled Nursing care Specialized in disease progression
- Social Work services, including counseling patients and families when making medical decisions becomes difficult
- Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy
- Coordination of care needs
- Counseling and Spiritual Care: listening and providing support through all stages of illness
For more information about Palliative Care or the Bridge Program of Rockingham Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, please call us at 1-800-540-2981.
Helpful Link:
National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization