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Palliative Care addresses the physical, emotional, spiritual and practical needs of the dying person and his or her family -- while the person is a patient at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Palliative Care steps in when a patient’s course of care shifts from finding a cure to relieving pain, easing symptoms and maximizing comfort. It is hospice care in a hospital setting, provided by a caring team of professionals including a palliative care nurse specialist, a medical social worker and a hospital chaplain. Our Palliative Care team helps ensure that dying patients have a greater opportunity to connect with loved ones and fulfill their final wishes. |
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Our Palliative Care Team. . .
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Recognizes the patient’s right to participate in decisions and maintain as much control as possible.
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Collaborates with physicians and specially trained pharmacists to maximize pain management.
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Provides counseling and emotional support to the patient and his or her loved ones.
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Helps loved ones say good-bye in a memorable and meaningful way while honoring the patient’s individual values and beliefs.
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Presents a handmade Continuation Quilt to provide the patient with extra personal comfort. The Chinese figure for continuation and a poem are silk-screened on to each small quilt, which is a gift to the patient and often serve as a keepsake for a patient’s loved ones.
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Collaborates with Pastoral Care Services to provide therapeutic harp music at the patient’s bedside through Strings of Compassion.
Who pays for Palliative Care?
There is no cost to patients for Palliative Care services, although donations
allow us to continue our mission of providing the needs of the dying.
For more information on Palliative Care Services, please call the Palliative Care office at Sacred Heart Medical Center, (541) 335-2531.
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It is an emotional moment for the loved ones of a patient nearing the end of life: The handmade quilt is brought into the hospital room and laid gently across the patient. There is an immediate transformation. The hospital room becomes warm, personal and homey. The quilt adds color, beauty, texture and something more: It marks the transition from trying to cure the patient to trying to comfort her through her final hours, and it helps loved ones and caregivers begin to accept that death is close at hand. The quilt project is a collaboration between Volunteer Services and Palliative Care Services at Sacred Heart Medical Center. Each quilt is sewn by volunteers and given as a gift to the patient’s family. It serves as a memento of the patient’s last moments and an heirloom for future generations. Each one is silk-screened with the Chinese character meaning "new life" and the poem, "Continuation" (see image at top of page), by Deng Ming-Dao. The character/poem were inspired by the idea that we are all eternally connected and that death is not an end but part of a continuum. |
Individuals and quilting groups are invited to become involved in creating the quilts. Volunteers are provided with a kit containing fabric and the “Continuation” poem. For more information, contact Volunteer Services at (541) 686-6825.