it ’ s about how you live

Quality Care And Emotional Support

This November, CHI Health at Home will be celebrating National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. The theme this year, “It’s About How You Live,” aligns with their core values and the quality of care provided to all of their patients throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area.

““Throughout November, we will be working diligently to raise awareness about the compassionate care that hospice and palliative care can provide. Our care programs combine quality medical care with the emotional support that families may need,” says Sandra Buchholz, Fargo director for CHI Health at Home.

Although hospice and palliative care can share overlapping similarities, the two have some differences. Palliative care is a holistic model of care that is provided to people earlier in their course of illness or injury. Hospice care enables patients and families to focus on living as fully as possible despite a life-limiting illness.

The CHI Health at Home team coordinates with patients and their families to design a plan that works best for them. Whether professional care is received at home, in a nursing home or in assisted living, each care-plan is tailor-made.

“In general, a comprehensive palliative care approach includes services to relieve the physical symptoms associated with your illness,” says Jenna Miosek, Fargo clinical coordinator for CHI Health at Home. “It also helps to cope with its emotional strain and encourages spiritual exploration and reflection. Although these are also components of hospice care, once hospice has begun, the emphasis typically shifts. The main concern then is to alleviate the physical symptoms. This will enable the patient to live as comfortably as possible.”

Hospice and palliative care programs provide pain management, symptom control, psychosocial support and spiritual care to patients and their families when a cure is not possible. These programs combine the highest level of quality medical care with the emotional support that families need most when facing a severe illness or the end of life.

In addition to palliative and hospice care, CHI Health at Home offers home health care. “Home health care has proven to not only be cost-effective, but a path which leads to a better way of living,” says Buchholz. “Our team focuses around providing education to patients, along with chronic disease management, with an emphasis on preventing hospitalizations. The cost of hospitalization and nursing home placement can be a struggle for families; we hope that our home health programs can help alleviate some of that stress. Aside from the financial aspect, we find that our patients are usually happier and heal more comfortably at home.”

The skilled and passionate team with CHI Health at Home includes registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, medical social workers, home health aides, chaplains, hospice aides and bereavement coordinators.

“If there were one thing I could say to the readers of this magazine, it would be to give home health and hospice a chance,” says Buchholz. “You and your family will lose nothing by trying it. But if you try it and love it, you have a lot to gain.” [ aw ]