Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley works with primary care providers, specialists and other medical professionals to provide hospice and palliative care services tailored to your patients’ needs and goals. We work with you and your patient to create individualized care plans, set personal goals, and fill their lives with meaningful moments. We help manage pain and symptoms so that patients can live each moment to the fullest. Our multidisciplinary team helps patients and families cope with and express the multifaceted emotions and feelings associated with serious illness and end-of-life.
Hospice and palliative care services are an additional layer of support for your patients when they need it most!
The resources in this section will help you refer appropriate patients at the appropriate time, start the hard conversations, and be able to address some common community concerns. We look forward to working with you in service of your patients!
Is it time for hospice or palliative care?
When thinking about a patient, if you answer yes to any of these questions, hospice or AIM palliative care services may be appropriate for that patient. The earlier a patient is referred to Hospice, the more benefit the patient and his or her family will receive from our services.
Please review Hospice and AIM admission criteria and feel free to call Hospice if you have questions about a patient’s eligibility.
Have you diagnosed your patient with a serious, life-limiting illness? These include (but are not limited to):
- AIDS
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Cancer
- Cardiopulmonary Disease
- Cerebral Vascular Accident/Stroke
- Liver Disease
- Neurological Conditions (Dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, ALS, Huntington’s Disease)
- Renal Disease
Has there been a recent change in your patient’s condition? Some examples might include:
- Progressive weight loss
- Several falls in the past six months
- Shortness of breath, even when resting
- Spending most of the day confined to bed or a chair
Has your patient’s needs for medical support increased?
- Is the patient calling or visiting your office more?
- Have you started or increased pain medication for the patient?
- Has the patient visited the ER or been hospitalized three or more times for the same symptoms in the past six months?
Is your patient starting to need more help to perform daily activities? These include:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Eating
- Walking
- Getting out of bed