Once you choose Las Vegas hospice and palliative care, there are a few more steps that need to be taken before your actual care begins. The most important of these steps is your meeting with your new palliative care team. Here, you can learn more about what you can expect from that meeting and how you can prepare for it.
Your Medical Team
Because Las Vegas hospice and palliative care is so comprehensive, your team may include physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, dietitians and more. Naturally, you want to know who is going to be taking care of you and in what ways. So, head to your meeting armed with questions about what services will be available to you.
With all these different types of care being offered to you, there is probably a long list of questions running through your head. The best thing to do is write those questions down. When you head into your palliative and hospice Las Vegas meeting prepared with questions, the entire meeting will seem much less intimidating.
Here are a few of the topics you may want to think about discussing with your new palliative team:
- How will my pain and symptoms be managed?
- What can I expect from your care?
- Which members of the team will be helping me? When?
Your palliative care team cannot offer you satisfying service if you are unsure of what your goals are. Therefore, before you head into your meeting, take some time to really pinpoint what it is that matters to you most in terms of your care.
Think about how your wishes for treatment and also how you want to be treated as the end draws nearer. Write them down. Just remember to stay realistic about your goals. You may be expecting some treatment or even a cure that just isn’t feasible. You may want to mentally prepare yourself for that reality check.
The more clearly and transparently you discuss your goals and fears with your palliative care team, the more they will be able to assist you through a time in your life that may already be riddled with fear.
With that being said, you can greatly help your new palliative care team by bringing as much information about your medical history with you as possible. This way, your team can better prepare a course of action for you moving forward.
Your Personal Team
It is a good idea to bring a close friend or family member with you to the meeting. On one hand, this support will help to keep you calm and focused in your meeting. Having a second pair of eyes and ears is also beneficial because he or she may be able to offer a different perspective to the meeting after the fact.
If possible, have your partner take notes during the meeting. This way, you will be able to focus more on what is being said and will be more likely to remember to ask all of your questions. You will also want a set of notes to help you remember what was said after the fact.
When you choose Las Vegas hospice services, you choose the best palliative care in Las Vegas. That is because Pro-Care Hospice of Nevada is committed to giving patients the best experience possible. For more information about the hospice Las Vegas trusts, contact 702.380.8300.