Professional Documents
Culture Documents
wants instead of what a traditional medical approach might dictate that he needs. This approach
gives patients more control over their treatment plan.
For example, an aging parent diagnosed with cancer may be worried about who will care for his
mentally incapacitated adult son to the degree that he forgoes scheduled treatments to stay
home with the dependent. This scenario may call for a social worker who is able to procure
resources to help care for the son and provide transportation to and from chemotherapy
sessions for the father. A palliative care team addresses physical, mental and social conditions,
and studies have revealed that curative treatment can also be more effective when
accompanied by palliative care.
Access
Because palliative care is not that well known, access is an issue. Most of the time it is
recommended by the treating physician and frequently provided by on-site teams in a hospital
setting. However, palliative care can be provided wherever the patient is located, including
outpatient clinics, long-term-care facilities, hospices and even at home.
Palliative care also can be recommended via other sources, such as health and mental health
agencies, day care and senior centers, schools, courts, child welfare and family service
agencies, correctional systems, agencies serving immigrants and refugees, substance abuse
programs and employee assistance programs.
While the foundation of the program is to provide pain and symptom relief, these types of
organizations may be engaged due to the patient's lifestyle, socio-economic factors,
immigration status and/or living environment. Social service agencies are frequently able to
identify these factors and refer patients who would benefit from palliative care before their
conditions are exacerbated and require more costly treatment.
Palliative care is generally covered all or in part by Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance
plans. However, Medicaid coverage can vary depending on the state program.
1. Health Affairs Blog. March 10, 2015. Effective Public Engagement To Improve Palliative
Care For Serious Illness.http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2015/03/10/effective-publicengagement-to-improve-palliative-care-for-serious-illness/. Accessed April 14, 2015.
2. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. October 2012. Opportunities and Challenges
for Palliative Care Professionals in the Age of Health Reform.
http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/cearticle?tid=1429239. Accessed April 8, 2015.
3. NYmag.com. Many Nursing Homes Fall Short at Palliative Care. March 24,
2015.http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/03/many-nursing-homes-fall-short-at-palliativecare.html. Accessed April 8, 2015.
4. Pharmacy Practice News. March 2015. Palliative Care a Foreign But Vital Role for
Pharmacists.http://www.pharmacypracticenews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?d=Clinical&d_id=
50&i=March+2015&i_id=1155&a_id=30832. Accessed April 8, 2015.
5. National Association of Social Workers. NASW Standards for Palliative & End of Life
Care.https://www.socialworkers.org/practice/bereavement/standards/default.asp.
Accessed April 8, 2015.
6. GetPalliativeCare.org. Frequently Asked
Questions.http://getpalliativecare.org/whatis/faq/#how-do-i-know-if-palliative-care-isright-for-me. Accessed April 8, 2015.