The Bridges Palliative Care Program at Southwest Washington Medical Center offers long-term support to patients and families with advanced chronic illness. Patients may be referred in the outpatient setting, or, on a limited basis, may be identified while in the hospital. In either case, Bridges staff is able to maintain contact through monthly telephone calls, or through rounding in the hospital.

What is palliative care?

When patients have active, progressive, far-advanced disease, the focus of palliative care is on their quality of life. The Bridges program provides:

• Assistance with pain and symptom management

• Emotional and spiritual support

• Assistance with navigating the healthcare system

• Links to broad range of community and healthcare resources

Different from hospice

Palliative care is not the same as hospice care. Palliative care may be provided at any time during a person`s illness, even from the time of diagnosis. And, it may be given at the same time as curative treatment. Hospice care always provides palliative care.

However, it is focused on terminally ill patients-people who no longer seek treatments to cure them and who are expected to live for about six months or less.

The Bridges palliative care team works to establish a trusting relationship as they walk along with patients and assist them in directing their own care. The program currently supports 100 patients and has served a total of 190 families so far.

If you or someone you know might benefit from palliative care, call 696-5103 or go online to www.swmedicalcenter.org/bridgespalliativecare.