Central Maine Healthcare

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Palliative Care

Central Maine Healthcare's palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stresses of a serious illness, and supporting communication to help you understand your medical condition, and make the best choices for you.  The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.  The palliative care team spends as much time as necessary communicating with both you and your family and supports you every step of the way.

Close Communication, clarifying your goals

The palliative care team will also spend time talking to you and listening. They will make sure you understand all of your treatment options and choices. By deeply exploring your personal goals, the palliative care team will help you match those goals and options. They will also make sure that all of your doctors are coordinated and know and understand what you want. This gives you more control over your care.

Improves Quality of Life

Palliative care teams specialize in treating people suffering from the symptoms and stress of serious illnesses such as cancer, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and many more. This type of care treats pain, depression, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, anxiety and any other symptoms that may be causing distress, with the goal of helping you to improve your quality of life.
Reference:  Get Palliative Care, The Center to Advance Palliative Care, CAPC, What is Palliative Care, viewed November 2018,  https://getpalliativecare.org/whatis/

Advance Directives

It is your right to determine your own care.  Make decisions ahead of time about the care that you would want to receive should you become unable to speak for yourself.

Learn more about Advance Directives and Advance Care Planning Resources.

Bereavement & Grief

There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Grieving is an individual process with no specific timetable. It takes as long as it takes to adjust to the changes in your life.  Grief is a natural and normal response to change and loss. It ebbs and flows, triggered by reminders, dates, & anniversaries.

Changes that May Occur

  • Emotional
    • Shock and Denial
    • Anger and Blame
    • Guilt and Shame
    • Sadness and Depression
    • Withdrawal & Loneliness
    • Hopelessness and Helplessness
  • Physical
    • Nausea
    • Lack of Energy
    • Changes in Sleeping & Eating Patterns
  • Cognitive
    • Difficulty Focusing, Working, Making Decisions
  • Spiritual Challenges:
    • Questioning of Ones’ Value, Meaning, Purpose in Life.

Coping With Loss

  • Embracing and honoring your thoughts and emotions provides a pathway through the grief.
  • Be gentle, kind and forgiving of yourself.
  • Allow yourself the gift of time.
  • Nurture and “Refill the Well” with reading, movies, travel…
  • Eat well, exercise/move, and get adequate rest.
  • The only way out is through the grief.  Avoid alcohol/drugs to mask grief.
  • Reach out for help. Seek out friends.  Attend a support group.
  • Talk about your loss. Honor the memories.
  • Use creativity, art, music, writing to help express your feelings.
  • One Step at a Time. Set attainable goals. Reclaim a routine in life.
  • Make meaning of the loss.
  • Find Hope in New Direction

Bereavement Resources

Our Services

How do I get palliative care?  The best way is to ask your doctor if Palliative Care might help you and ask for a referral.  Our team sees patients both in the hospital, and in certain outpatient venues.

Inpatient Consults

If you are hospitalized with a serious problem, your doctor can consult our team to be part of your care in the hospital.

Outpatient Visits

If you are a patient seeing a specialist in the following practices, you can ask your doctor to refer you for a palliative care consult right there in that office.  In the future, we hope to grow the number of outpatient locations that we can serve.

  • Central Maine Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute
  • Central Maine Pulmonary Medicine