Palliative Care

Palliative Care is defined at Bridgeport Hospital as patient and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. Palliative Care throughout the continuum of illness involves addressing physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual needs and facilitates patient autonomy, access to information and choice.

• Aims to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for patients with advanced illness and their families
• Interdisciplinary team
• Provide in conjunction with all other appropriate forms for treatment
• Vigorous pain and symptom control
• Decrease LOS and ease patient transitions between care settings
• Team/family/patient needs help with complex decision making with regards to goals of care (futility)

Multidisciplinary Team Approach to care

• Allows for coordination of care from acute to home
• Allows for multidisciplinary screening approach, notification to the primary physician for consult
• Consult is followed up by an Advanced Practice RN who accesses patients needs and communicates directly with physician
• Advanced Practice Nurse will coordinate protocol implementation