The Importance of Palliative Care for Elderly Patients

Here at Willow Grange, we provide a range of care services, including palliative care for elderly patients.

We understand that it can be upsetting to witness how a serious illness can affect your loved one. Our professional and compassionate nurses are on hand to provide the following specialist palliative care services:

  • 24/7 expert care
  • Emotional support for the patient and their family
  • A detailed advanced care plan to keep families and residents informed

 

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What is Palliative Care for the Elderly?

Palliative care is a medical caregiving approach that aims to optimise the quality of life of people who have a serious illness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) describes palliative care as:

“an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial, and spiritual.”

Specialist palliative care services include pain or symptom management, family support, and care coordination. Depending on the specific needs of the person who is receiving care, our palliative care team will work alongside a number of other professionals. As part of your loved one’s nursing home end-of-life care plan, we might work with consultants, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, chaplains, and nutritionists.

While palliative care for the elderly doesn’t treat the disease directly, it is appropriate for people with serious illnesses – either as the primary goal of care or alongside a curative treatment.

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When are Specialist Palliative Care Services Offered?

We can deliver palliative care for elderly patients at any stage of an illness, sometimes alongside treatments that are hoped to cure symptoms or extend life.

Palliative care is a practical option for people with a serious or terminal illness. Although we typically provide palliative care at the end of someone’s life, it can be helpful for a person at any stage of their illness. This is because its general aim is to improve the quality of life for those with a chronic illness.

In order to determine optimum care goals, we believe it’s important to discuss the needs of the patient in the company of themselves and their family. This is particularly the case if:

  • A prognosis is uncertain
  • The patient has Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or another form of incurable memory condition
  • The patient opts to discontinue with curative care
  • Treatment may have unknown results

As experts in palliative care for the elderly, we do all that we can to provide comfort and support at this stage of life.

 

The Importance of Palliative Care for Elderly Patients

As an established residential care home, prospective residents and their families often ask us: ‘what is palliative care for the elderly at Willow Grange?’. Our palliative care involves a complex and individual plan but, in general, we are here to ensure that your loved one receives the care they need and deserve.

Our dedicated specialist palliative care services team is experienced in providing outstanding care in our comfortable and homely environment. As well as administering pain management, we also prepare nutritious and appropriate meals and our team offers empathetic companionship and emotional support.

Our specialist palliative care team understands that pain or other symptoms of serious illness are likely to impact on quality of life. This can leave a patient lacking the energy or motivation needed to do the things they once enjoyed. We take the time to understand what each person needs, and do all that we can to make their days meaningful and enjoyable.

Our End of Life Nursing Home also Supports Families

As providers of palliative care for the elderly we understand that if your loved one needs palliative care it can be a distressing and overwhelming time for the whole family.

Our experienced and knowledgeable nurses are experts in providing palliative care for elderly patients. As part of their outstanding care, our nurses also offer emotional support and consistency to families during this difficult time.
Trusted Palliative Care for the Elderly

When your loved one moves to Willow Grange, they become a part of our family. You have our assurance that they will be treated with care and dignity, in our homely environment.

We are proud to provide high-quality support and care to our elderly residents, whatever their needs. Please click to read more about our specialist palliative care services. As well as palliative care, we also offer:

To discover more about palliative care for the elderly, or to book a visit to Willow Grange, please get in touch with us today on 020 8399 8948.