When a patient with advanced-stage cancer who'd been receiving outpatient treatment came into McKay-Dee's emergency room with pain he could no longer manage, the palliative care team collaborated with ED caregivers to give him the opportunity to live out his final days at home, pain-free, and with his loved ones.
Alan Amos, McKay-Dee's chaplain, along with Mary Ellen Shivers, NP, and Ryan Larsen, NP, from McKay-Dee's palliative care team, prevented the patient from being readmitted to the hospital by transferring him from the emergency department to palliative care to home-based hospice care. They also helped the man and his family prepare for his passing.
"This was ultimately the best decision for the patient and his family," says Alan. "This patient had advanced-stage cancer and didn't want further treatment. Yet his family was devastated at the thought of losing their husband and father, and the patient was dealing with his fear of death."
The palliative care team first met with the ED physician, then met separately with the patient and his family to learn about his needs and decide what to do next.
"This family all needed help to process the emotion and distress they were feeling and the realization that he wasn't going to live much longer, which was making it hard to let go," says Alan. "In palliative care, we ask things like, 'What will bring dignity to the patient? What will bring joy and comfort? What will bring peace to the family?'"
In this case the goal was to stop cancer treatment and move on to hospice care and comfort measures for the patient's final days.
"The patient later expressed he was relaxed, calm, happy, and at peace," Alan says. "The family was also really appreciative of the support they'd received. The patient told Ryan it was the first time he'd been pain-free in months."
Becki Diener, a clinical social worker in palliative care at McKay-Dee, says, "In palliative care, we have the luxury of having longer conversations with patients and families to learn the goals of care and what needs to happen, in terms of logistics, with medical management, as well as how the patient wants to spend their remaining time."
"Our goal is to match the highest quality of medical care with the level of treatment a patient desires, so they have the most meaning, value, and purpose in their life," says Alan. "While every cancer journey is different, for this patient, the transition from palliative care to hospice was a positive solution for everyone involved."
Palliative care helps patients and families manage chronic, long-term, or debilitating illnesses by helping patients improve their quality of life, whereas hospice care is for patients who are given six months or less to live.
"We work with the palliative care team daily in the ICU," says Peter Anderson, MD, a critical care physician at McKay-Dee. "One of the things they have that other providers don't have is time. When you're building relationships and helping with the goals of care that impact quality of life, time is really important."
Dr. Anderson says in some cases doing more medically to patients isn't necessarily the right decision, so it's great having a palliative care team step in. "Everyone's life will come to an end at some point — and we prefer lives to end in calm, controlled manners," says Dr. Anderson. "It's great having support from palliative care to provide that guidance. They bring different perspectives to every problem, and families relate to individual members of the team in different ways."
Intermountain hospitals with palliative care teams include Intermountain Medical Center (801-408-6249), Utah Valley (801-357-8586), Dixie Regional (435-251-2474), and McKay-Dee (801-387-2254). In addition to inpatient palliative care teams, Intermountain also has home-based and clinic-based teams.
This caregiver recognition story was shared in the Executive Leadership Team Tier 6 Huddle with Intermountain's top leadership team. Outstanding caregivers are recognized daily in the Tier 6 Huddle.
"This was ultimately the best decision for the patient and his family," says Alan. "This patient had advanced-stage cancer and didn't want further treatment. Yet his family was devastated at the thought of losing their husband and father, and the patient was dealing with his fear of death."
The palliative care team first met with the ED physician, then met separately with the patient and his family to learn about his needs and decide what to do next.
"This family all needed help to process the emotion and distress they were feeling and the realization that he wasn't going to live much longer, which was making it hard to let go," says Alan. "In palliative care, we ask things like, 'What will bring dignity to the patient? What will bring joy and comfort? What will bring peace to the family?'"
In this case the goal was to stop cancer treatment and move on to hospice care and comfort measures for the patient's final days.
"The patient later expressed he was relaxed, calm, happy, and at peace," Alan says. "The family was also really appreciative of the support they'd received. The patient told Ryan it was the first time he'd been pain-free in months."
Becki Diener, a clinical social worker in palliative care at McKay-Dee, says, "In palliative care, we have the luxury of having longer conversations with patients and families to learn the goals of care and what needs to happen, in terms of logistics, with medical management, as well as how the patient wants to spend their remaining time."
"Our goal is to match the highest quality of medical care with the level of treatment a patient desires, so they have the most meaning, value, and purpose in their life," says Alan. "While every cancer journey is different, for this patient, the transition from palliative care to hospice was a positive solution for everyone involved."
Palliative care helps patients and families manage chronic, long-term, or debilitating illnesses by helping patients improve their quality of life, whereas hospice care is for patients who are given six months or less to live.
"We work with the palliative care team daily in the ICU," says Peter Anderson, MD, a critical care physician at McKay-Dee. "One of the things they have that other providers don't have is time. When you're building relationships and helping with the goals of care that impact quality of life, time is really important."
Dr. Anderson says in some cases doing more medically to patients isn't necessarily the right decision, so it's great having a palliative care team step in. "Everyone's life will come to an end at some point — and we prefer lives to end in calm, controlled manners," says Dr. Anderson. "It's great having support from palliative care to provide that guidance. They bring different perspectives to every problem, and families relate to individual members of the team in different ways."
Intermountain hospitals with palliative care teams include Intermountain Medical Center (801-408-6249), Utah Valley (801-357-8586), Dixie Regional (435-251-2474), and McKay-Dee (801-387-2254). In addition to inpatient palliative care teams, Intermountain also has home-based and clinic-based teams.
This caregiver recognition story was shared in the Executive Leadership Team Tier 6 Huddle with Intermountain's top leadership team. Outstanding caregivers are recognized daily in the Tier 6 Huddle.