Finding Palliative Care for Patients in Remission
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Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. “One day … your disease is inactive. You may or may not be ready to embrace a new definition of yourself as ‘well,’” Lee Spears, program director at Regence BCBS Palliative Care, tells AARP.
For example, a patient may think that every time he gets indigestion or has a backache or headache his cancer has returned, Lee says, and may need professional assistance in dealing with those concerns. Under Regence’s program, the patient decides when to leave palliative care. “This is more than patient-centered care; it is patient-directed care.”
Palliative care typically integrates multidisciplinary care teams — including physicians and nurses, social workers, mental health professionals and chaplains — who offer tailored treatment plans focused on improving quality of life for patients facing a serious illness. It can be or in facilities, but it is not hospice care — patients can still be receiving treatment and, in some cases, go into remission.
While Regence may be a leader in the field in offering this type of structured program, other insurers are offering palliative care at all stages of illness, including remission. These insurers include CareOregon and Priority Health, which serves members in Michigan.
“In the hopeful likelihood that a patient goes into remission, I feel very strongly palliative care can be very helpful for them,” Gregory Gadbois, M.D., medical director of Priority Health, tells AARP. Palliative care can also help patients deal with side effects from treatments, he adds.
Patients in remission at some point thought they might die. “It’s a huge adjustment," Gadbois says. "Palliative care is perfectly set up to help those patients during the treatment — and, hopefully, afterward in remission — to grasp, 'What does this mean to me going forward?'” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS
Palliative Care for Patients in Remission
Where do you turn after you realize you re going to live
Palliative care typically integrates teams of physicians, nurses, social workers, mental health professionals and chaplains focused on improving quality of life for patients facing serious illness. Istock to patients in remission is the answer. The insurer, which offers coverage in Idaho, Washington (select counties), Oregon and Utah, recently launched what it calls the first structured palliative care program for patients in remission.Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. “One day … your disease is inactive. You may or may not be ready to embrace a new definition of yourself as ‘well,’” Lee Spears, program director at Regence BCBS Palliative Care, tells AARP.
For example, a patient may think that every time he gets indigestion or has a backache or headache his cancer has returned, Lee says, and may need professional assistance in dealing with those concerns. Under Regence’s program, the patient decides when to leave palliative care. “This is more than patient-centered care; it is patient-directed care.”
Palliative care typically integrates multidisciplinary care teams — including physicians and nurses, social workers, mental health professionals and chaplains — who offer tailored treatment plans focused on improving quality of life for patients facing a serious illness. It can be or in facilities, but it is not hospice care — patients can still be receiving treatment and, in some cases, go into remission.
Caregivers need support too
The palliative services are also available for of the patient, even if they are not enrolled with Regence. “When a spouse is taking care of you, the illness is part of their daily life, as well," Lee says. "It can be difficult for a spouse to let go of that role. Emotional and spiritual support are necessary.”While Regence may be a leader in the field in offering this type of structured program, other insurers are offering palliative care at all stages of illness, including remission. These insurers include CareOregon and Priority Health, which serves members in Michigan.
“In the hopeful likelihood that a patient goes into remission, I feel very strongly palliative care can be very helpful for them,” Gregory Gadbois, M.D., medical director of Priority Health, tells AARP. Palliative care can also help patients deal with side effects from treatments, he adds.
Patients in remission at some point thought they might die. “It’s a huge adjustment," Gadbois says. "Palliative care is perfectly set up to help those patients during the treatment — and, hopefully, afterward in remission — to grasp, 'What does this mean to me going forward?'” AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS