Business

Valley Hospice celebrates palliative care program

RAYLAND -- Officials with Valley Hospice say they are proud to offer the area's only in-home palliative care program, Caring Connections Palliative Care.

They said Valley Hospice, a nonprofit, mission-driven hospice provider in the Upper Ohio Valley, is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the community.

Palliative care, or comfort care, aims to help patients feel better and cope with the stress of living with a serious illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life of the patient and their family. The palliative care team works to anticipate, prevent and relieve suffering related to a serious illness or the side effects of treatment.

"Home-based palliative care for seriously ill patients fills a critical gap in the health care system," said Andrea Hale, Valley Hospice CEO. "It enables access to services that can prevent the typical pattern of preventable emergency department visits, hospitalizations, post-acute rehabilitation stays and early skilled-nursing placement. Most important, palliative care mitigates the unnecessary suffering that accompany these events."

"Community-based palliative care works because it starts by determining what patients (and their families) need and want," added Hale. "The need is great, and the time is right for Valley Hospice to provide this valuable service for our community. Contact us at (740) 859.5655 to learn how Caring Connections Palliative Care can help you or a loved one."

Valley Hospice joined hospice organizations across the nation in celebrating November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness of end-of-life care and recognizing the compassionate care provided to patients and their families.

The organization has been caring for patients for 38 years. Its specially trained, compassionate staff has cared for thousands of patients throughout the Ohio Valley, allowing them to spend their final months wherever they call home, surrounded by their loved ones in accordance with their wishes. Valley Hospice works tirelessly to provide patient-centered care for those living with a life-limiting illness -- putting people over profits, officials added.

The organization maintains a commitment to providing care to every patient in need of their services, regardless of their ability to pay, they added.

Valley Hospice offers many programs that enhance the quality of life for the patient and their family. The list includes A Hero's Salute, specialized end-of-life care and support to patients who have served in the military; A Plan for Living, advanced directives program; Whispered Wishes, a program that grants end-of-life wishes; Meaningful Moments, resources for individuals and families dealing with dementia; and Bobby's Books, using books to help build a child's coping skills.

It also offers the area's only inpatient care centers -- Valley Hospice Mary Jane Brooks Care Center North in Steubenville and Valley Hospice Liza's Place Care Center South in Wheeling.

For information about Valley Hospice, visit valleyhospice.org or call (877) HOSPICE.