Why Patient Centered Care is So Essential
Often, medical care focuses on treating the disease or illness. Medication is given, physical therapy is performed, or surgery is scheduled, among other options. Doctors are focused on curing the illness or the symptoms. They want to help the patient recover physically, so that they no longer suffer and so they don’t have a recurrence of symptoms.
While traditional medical care certainly has its place – obviously, you want to have your cancer removed or reduced, where possible – it can be limiting. Patient-centered care should also be included, especially when dealing with patients who have a chronic or terminal illness. That’s why patient-centered care is at the center of hospice care and palliative car in Gilbert.
What is Patient-Centered Care?
Patient-centered care does what its name says – it puts the patient and their needs as the focus of the care. That goes beyond thinking about just how to treat the patient’s medical problem. It also looks at what the patient’s emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs may be.
For example, a patient who has cancer likely needs more than chemotherapy. That patient is likely afraid and overwhelmed, and they may be struggling with their own mortality. They may need to see a therapist or even talk to a spiritual advisor, among other things. Patient-centered care thinks about what the patient may be and how to meet those needs.
What Patient-Centered Care Entails
Patient-centered care can include a variety of treatments, whether it is for Scottsdale hospice care or just for routine care. The idea is to think about all of the patient’s needs and then to meet them with services or to refer them to resources to get those needs met. Patient-centered care is a multi-faceted approach that requires a team of care providers working together.
Some examples of additional treatments that would be provided under patient-centered care include therapies to relieve pain such as massage or acupuncture, emotional and psychological counseling, spiritual counseling, and family support. Patients can be referred to providers, like home health aides or counselors, or they can receive some of these services right in the provider’s own facility.
Why Patient-Centered Care is So Important
Patients need more than traditional medical care to heal. When a person’s emotional and spiritual needs are also met, they have a greater chance of recovery. They are likely to heal more quickly and to experience fewer complications. They also have a reduced risk of needing follow-up care.
When a patient isn’t expected to recover, such as when Queen Creek hospice care is needed, patient-centered care is still important. In that scenario, patient-centered care helps to improve the person’s quality of life so that they can enjoy their final days as best they can and so they can die with dignity. Patient-centered care also includes the family by providing practical support, such as by providing medical care to the patient, and by providing emotional and spiritual support. It helps everyone through what is a stressful and overwhelming situation.
It’s important that you understand your options when you or a loved one becomes sick. You should know that you have e more options than just treating the physical problem or the symptoms – and that those options can be enormously beneficial. Find a doctor or providers who offer patient-centered care to get a better quality of care for yourself or your loved one. If you are facing the end of life, or a loved one is, look into hospice care in Paradise Valley to make those final days the best they can be.
Americare Hospice and Palliative Care provides patient-centered care for those who are chronically or terminally ill. Our providers consider the total needs of the patient, ranging from alleviating pain and other symptoms to providing emotional and spiritual support. We are a Catholic hospice provider, but we care for patients of all faiths (or no faith). We provide in-home hospice care in Mesa or provide inpatient hospice care at facilities in the area. We offer support for the patient and the patient’s family. Call us in Mesa today to meet with a hospice care provider, to learn more about our hospice and palliative care services, and to tour our facility (if you need inpatient hospice care).
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1212 N. Spencer St., Suite #2Mesa, Arizona 85203
Office: (480) 726-7773
Fax: (480) 726-7790
Email: info@americarehospice.org
Website: https://americarehospice.org/
