Text Size

A

A

Reset Text

Questions? We're here for you.

(800) 553-4289

 

What is Palliative Care?

Agrace Palliative Care provides specialized, supportive care for people who are living with serious, life-altering illnesses.

Our goal is to help you get more relief from the symptoms, pain, stress and other health problems related to your illness. We can also look for ways to lessen the side effects of your medicines and treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.

Agrace Palliative Care can help at any stage of an illness, when you are struggling to feel better and worry less. The first step is to schedule a palliative care consultation, a detailed, in-home visit with an Agrace palliative care clinician.

 

palliative care - men playing cards

Who is it for?

Agrace Palliative Care can help adults who:

  • have a serious illness but are not at the end of life,
  • are not getting enough relief from their medications and other treatment, and
  • have trouble leaving home or traveling to their doctor or clinic because of their illness.

This service can also support a person’s family caregivers, because it looks at more than just the medical concerns that affect a family when someone is seriously ill.

 

 

How does it help?NP reviewing prescriptions with couple

Palliative Care Consultations are detailed, in-home visits made by a Agrace palliative care clinician. The visit lasts about 90 minutes, which allows time for detailed conversation.

During this consult visit: 

  • We will give you a physical exam, ask you about any troubling symptoms, and talk with you about how medicines and other treatments are working.
  • You will talk about your goals for care and what gets in the way of meeting your goals.
  • You will have time to discuss things that are causing you to worry, and your choices for future treatment.
  • Our social worker will explain other community resources that might help, such as meal delivery or support organizations that help people with your illness.

After the visit, Agrace Palliative Care will give you and your doctor/health care provider ideas to help improve your comfort and reduce stress, such as trying different medicines or treatments, or making lifestyle changes. Together, you can decide which changes you want to make to meet your goals. With your doctor’s approval, Agrace will make follow-up visits to check on how well the changes are working.

 

How is it different than hospice care?

Palliative care is meant to improve your comfort, but it is not the same as hospice care.

Hospice care is specifically for people who are likely in their last six months of life, and whose main goal is comfort, not a cure for their illness. The services included in hospice care are well defined by Medicare and are similar from one hospice to another across America. You usually cannot enroll in hospice care while you are also having treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation with the goal of being cured.

Palliative Care Consultations are appropriate at any stage of a serious illness, regardless of your prognosis. You can have palliative care while you continue to get treatment in the hope of being cured.

 

What does it cost?

Insurance: Medicare, Medicaid and most insurers usually cover Palliative Care Consultations, including follow-up visits. You may have to make a co-payment, as you would if you were visiting your doctor’s office.

Self-pay: If you are not using insurance to pay for your Palliative Care Consultation, Agrace must provide you a “good faith” estimate of the expected cost of your care. You can learn more here.

Care for All: If you do not have insurance and cannot pay for the consultation, Agrace may be able to offer you help paying, through our Care for All program. This donor-funded program offers help paying when our patients cannot afford the care they need.

 

How do I get started?

You can ask your doctor to call Agrace Palliative Care, or you can contact us directly to schedule a visit.

 (800) 930-2770

Call to talk to an interpreter / Tenemos intérpretes disponibles: (800) 930-2770

 

Caregiver Support

If your family member has a serious or life-altering illness, our Care Tips for Families page has tips and resources that will help you care for them (and yourself) at home.

Care Tips for Families