PALCARE: There’s no place like home. This is a new palliative care service offered by the JIMMY S BILIMORIA FOUNDATION, which has been set up with the prime purpose of delivering this ‘at-home’ service to those suffering from life limiting and debilitating conditions, such as cancer.
While this service is primarily for cancer patients, those who have chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, kidney failure, lung conditions, strokes, etc are covered as well. PALCARE caters to patients at any stage of their debilitating illness.
PALCARE does not provide 24 x 7 nursing at home but instead offers medical expertise in symptom management and pain relief, in counselling and spiritual guidance – all this in the comfort of the patient’s home. It provides consultation and assistance to the patient and the main caregiver; and hand holds both all the way through.
PALCARE is an All-Embracing, 360 degree service. It recognises that to provide a palliative home care service that is exceptional, the care must transcend the boundaries of a simple doctor/ nurse – patient/caregiver service. It must look at the care across the board and provide an extensive service that embraces all aspects that lead to a patient’s comfort and care such as:
- A 24 x 7 Help-Line : A part of the core offering, the Help-Line is managed by nurses who are well trained in dealing with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Patients and care-givers have the comfort of knowing that advice is only a phone call away whenever they need answers immediately on emergency issues. If the query is more technical than the helpline nurse can handle, the doctor in charge of the patient calls back.
- Physiotherapists : PALCAREwill have a physiotherapist on its roll. In addition it has a panel of physiotherapists, from nearby localities as its associates. They are referred to patients as and when required.
- Dieticians and Nutritionists: There is a panel of specialists to guide patients on food intake and how to control ailments related to digestion.
- Associate Hospitals: For patients whose condition may eventually require hospitalisation, PALCARE will have tie ups with leading hospitals and nursing homes in the vicinity. Additionally PALCARE helps partner these hospitals to train doctors and nurses in specialised palliative care.
- Respite Help Centres: In order that care givers can have the occasional time off, PALCARE will have tie ups with respite centres. Additionally trained volunteers will spend a half day with patients while caregivers run out on errands, complete pending jobs, etc.
- Volunteer Help: PALCARE will have a group of volunteers to provide such help as companionship to patients – read a book , watch TV, play games – or under the respite programme spend an entire morning or afternoon with the patient so that the care giver can have some time off.