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Women_independent with palliative care

Our patient is a 73-year-old female with a history of stroke, atrial fibrillation, Type 2 diabetes, lymphedema, osteoarthritis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity and
hypothyroidism. After the passing of her husband in early 2020, she struggled with grieving while living alone in an apartment at a senior living facility. Her existing health problems began to limit her ability to stay active, and she needed help.

GOALS
  • Her main priority is to remain independent with palliative care, perform her own activities of daily life, and remain in an environment with social support.
  • She wants to preserve her mobility, which helps facilitate her independence.
  • She hopes to improve her level of pain and limit the role of medications in her pain control.

 

Her Pallitus Health Partners providers listened to her goals and created a care plan to address her pain and other anxieties, while reducing and avoiding frequent ER interactions.

 

GETTING THE SUPPORT & CARE NEEDED

The patient:

  • Began taking Tylenol three times daily, which provided limited improvement.
  • Discussed risks and benefits of short-term use of oral steroids to reduce inflammation and pain, and then began a 5-day trial of Prednisone.

Pallitus Health Partners:

  • Avoided emergency hospital visits by utilizing after-hours nursing visits for close blood pressure monitoring.
  • Worked with the patient’s primary care team to facilitate referral to pain management team for possible interventional pain management evaluation.
  • RN increased contact with the patient via telephone and virtual visits to provide education and support regarding her fears of COVID. This prevented an ER visit for COVID evaluation.
  • Social worker provided emotional support to help with the struggles of social isolation and grief, while still remaining independent.

Thanks to her Pallitus Health Partners team, the patient has been living in her senior living facility pain-free. All her needs were met, both physically and emotionally. Pallitus Health will continue providing interdisciplinary team support to address complex symptom management.

Contact us to learn more about our care programs and services: 855-599-8954.