Palliative Care at Home
Unlike hospice care, palliative care is not associated with any one specific symptom or health issue. It’s designed for people with an advanced illness that is unlikely to resolve itself and is often added to a care plan at the time an issue is diagnosed, a complement to many of the conditions Contessa typically treats for a hospital or skilled nursing stay at home.
Unique Value of Palliative Care at Home
Consistent Support and Care Planning
Our provider teams help prevent crisis situations and reduce stress by having important conversations about care plans, ensuring patients and their inner circle are aligned on goals for the next steps of care. Contessa’s palliative care services provide calm, consistent support and assist in navigating the ever changing nature of this period in life.
Relationship Building
While most doctor appointments last about 10 to 15 minutes, with a Contessa clinician, most initial home visits can be up to 90 minutes long, with follow up visits around 30 to 45 minutes. As a result, Contessa clinicians enjoy the time they get to build relationships and gain a longitudinal view of the patient’s life and health.
How Palliative Care at Home Works
Contessa offers patients who need additional support for chronic illness care the chance to opt into Palliative Care at Home.
These services are targeted toward patients living with a terminal , chronic or advanced stage illness and aims to enhance their quality of life while receiving care.
As compared to Contessa’s other services, Palliative Care at Home is a longer
term option, offering ongoing home based care for patients in the advanced stages of significant illness. Our interdisciplinary team, comprised of physicians, advanced practice providers, social workers, community health workers, nurses and others focuses on enhancing quality of life and allowing these patients to age in place safely and comfortably.
Patients typically enter Palliative Care at Home through one of our other services, a specialist or primary care provider or their health plan.