One Patient’s Experience with Palliative Care
"Last November, I got really sick," patient Ed Burkholder begins.
That’s an understatement.
Suffering from pneumonia and sepsis, he ended up in the ICU.
It wasn’t his first bout with a serious illness. Five years ago, he successfully fought off bladder cancer, but the aggressive treatment was hard on his lungs.
While in ICU, a nurse recommended Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care for additional support and monitoring when he went home. He looked into it and saw the benefits.
Be Your Own Healthcare Advocate
Unfortunately, there was a small hurdle.
“My doctors were a bit old fashioned,” says Ed. “They didn’t understand how it works. So I changed doctors and signed up.”
Since then, Ed has received regular visits from a palliative care nurse practitioner and social worker.
“Nurses don’t get enough credit,” Ed shares. “They have to deal with who knows what every day. They pick my day up a bit, and I try to pick theirs up.”
“Crossroads has been very helpful with my family,” he continues. “They thought palliative meant giving up, but it’s not that at all.”
Changing Healthcare Goals
“I’ve talked with the social worker about swinging toward hospice,” Ed shares. “It’s not time yet, but it’s coming. My oxygen is going up. My family will need the extra support.”
With palliative care, Ed receives a few visits per month from nurses and social workers.
Hospice patients generally need more care, and an entire team is available to provide the patient and family with more frequent visits from nurses, aides, social workers, chaplains, volunteers, and bereavement counselors. Hospice care also includes prescription medication for symptom control and pain relief, medical equipment like beds and wheelchairs, and medical supplies like bandages, absorbent products, and catheters. All at no cost to the patient. Hospice is fully covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance.
The Right Level of Care at the Right Time
“Crossroads is a wonderful service,” says Ed. “I’ve already recommended it to others. I belong to a COPD Support Group on Facebook, and I’ve suggested it there.”
Palliative care team members are able to visit patients in their home or assisted living facilities to assess lung sounds and connect the patient with resources in the community. They can also help the patient’s physician assess when it may be time to bring in the added support of hospice care.
If you have questions about the difference between palliative and hospice care, please call us at 1-888-564-3405.
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