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St. Tammany Health System

Palliative Care Services

For decades, the experts making up our palliative care team have worked tirelessly and compassionately to improve the quality of life for people with serious, life-limiting conditions such as chronic heart failure, dementia, cancer, lung disease and many others.

WE’RE IN YOUR CORNER.

St. Tammany Health System's Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care team is made up of highly trained medical professionals who specialize in providing medical care for people living with a serious illness.

This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of such an illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and their family.

Palliative care can be provided during all stages of serious illness and often serves as an extra layer of support along with curative treatment. Palliative medicine is based on your needs, not on your prognosis.

Our team has specialized doctors, advance practice professionals, nurses, social workers and chaplains all working together to provide support for you and those you love.

Palliative Care vs. Hospice, explained

Palliative Care

An extra layer of support and relief for those will serious illness.

Eligibility

Palliative care is for people at any stage in their illness. The illness does not have to be life- limiting. Palliative Medicine specialists address your physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs.

Goals of care

Palliative care patients can seek treatment to cure their illness or prolong their life while getting medical help to manage their pain and other symptoms.

Why people choose palliative care

Patients are commonly seeking relief from pain, fatigue, nausea, side effects from medical treatment, or the stress that comes with a serious illness.

Hospice

Comfort-focused treatment at the end of life.

Eligibility

Hospice is for people with a life-limiting illness and life expectancy of six months or less.

Goals of care

People with a hospice plan of care are not seeking a cure for their illness. The goal is managing pain and other symptoms to improve quality of life with the time they have remaining.

Why people choose palliative care

Hospice is a plan of care for people with a life-limiting disease who choose to stop painful or difficult treatment or for whom treatments are no longer working. The hospice team brings care to the patient and family.

A closer look at palliative care

Dr. Farah Ali, the medical director of Palliative Care Services at St. Tammany Health System explains how Advance Care Planning can provide peace of mind to you and your family.

RELATED RESOURCES

WATCH | STHS Palliative Care Supervisor Emily Pupo explains what Palliative Care is, including the importance of Advance Care Planning.

WATCH | STHS Palliative Services Nurse Practitioner Kathy Ann Howard discusses her personal healthcare journey and how it has affected the way she treats patients.

Your next steps

There are two types of palliative care, one for inpatients and one for outpatients. If you are in the hospital and feel a consultation with palliative care would be of benefit, ask your doctor for a consult. If you are not in the hospital but would qualify, discuss it with your treating doctor, who can refer you.

A referral may be ordered to:

  • Manage troubling symptoms.
  • Improve understanding of the disease process and prognosis.
  • Assist with advance care planning, such as LaPOST and/or a living will.
  • Make sure patients’ wishes are known regarding treatments, hospitalization, etc.
  • Enhance communication between physicians and patients to ensure all are working toward the same goals. This often involves direct communication with their other doctors, or referral for other services, such as surgery, palliative radiation or hospice if desired.
  • Enhance family understanding of the illness, treatments and options.

Are you prepared for the unexpected?

Advance care planning isn’t just about old age. At any age, a medical crisis could leave you too ill to make or communicate your own healthcare decisions.

That’s where St. Tammany Health System’s Palliative Care program comes in, to help local residents learn about the types of decisions that might need to be made to ensure they get the medical care they would want if they are rendered unable to speak for themselves.

That includes providing guidance for preparing a living will, which puts in writing your healthcare wishes, and other services including the hosting of family conferences to make sure you and your loved ones are all on the same page.

These services can even be provided to homebound patients in their homes, with most insurances covering the cost.

The key is to do it now, while you still can. Learn more by calling the STHS Palliative Care office at (985) 871-5975.