Minnetonka Hospice and Palliative Care

Hospice Care Available in Minnetonka

Both palliative and hospice care offer compassionate support to patients and their families. Often, palliative care is considered a part of hospice care, as it is a support designed to help people feel better and have the highest quality of life. It can also be required at any stage of life. We offer both palliative care and hospice care at our Sholom campuses.

Palliative Care vs Hospice Care

Palliative care focuses on helping patients feel better, treating symptoms and side effects of illnesses. It includes support in the emotional, spiritual, social and practical realms as well, ensuring quality of life. This type of care can happen at any time through a person’s journey with an illness.

Palliative care is beneficial for relieving pain and other symptoms, including mental health issues. Pain is a factor in depression, so palliative care aims to reduce or alleviate those factors. After all, the goal of palliative care is to help people feel better, holistically.

Hospice care is also supportive, incorporating many of the same methods and measures as palliative care. The big difference is that hospice care is focused on end-of-life care when patients are terminally ill and curative treatments have stopped. Hospice care can happen in any setting, with the goal of keeping the patient comfortable and supported. Day-to-day care is provided by loved ones, with a high level of support from professionals.

Hospice care largely grew in the 1970s in the United States, when a growing number of terminally ill people were left to pass away alone in hospitals. Minnetonka area Hospice care, in response, ensures that people nearing end of life can say goodbye with minimal pain, and plenty of dignity and support. It also ensures that families and caregivers are supported through the entire journey, instead of shouldering everything on their own.

Because care is largely provided by loved ones, especially if the patient resides in the community, respite can be an important aspect of hospice care. Sholom offers temporary care that allow patients to relax with a fully furnished apartment, personal services, and a full meal plan. It also provides for a personalized care plan, and relief for families who are caring for an adult.

Every person deserves to have good care for themselves and their loved ones, especially as they reach the end of their lives. They also deserve to have as much independence, privacy, and dignity as desired. Our Minnetonka area palliative care and hospice care services ensure individual values and preferences are met, and in fact, that is what shapes each care plan.

Our Minnetonka Palliative Care Nursing Options

We have various options for patients and residents requiring palliative care. A key component of our system is home care, which can be provided in the community, or in buildings for our residents. Our Minnetonka palliative home care is client-centered and provided by licensed nurses and home health aides in coordination with a patient’s physician.

Our palliative care plan is further extended through our long term care program. This is for residents who would benefit from a skilled nursing facility. Seniors are supported by a dedicated care team in a home-like setting.

Our enhanced Minnetonka area assisted living program can also be a valuable part of palliative care for residents. It ensures that residents requiring a higher level of care have access to physical and medical support, while promoting dignity, independence, privacy and freedom of choice. Support includes dining assistance, laundry, housekeeping, outpatient therapy, a social worker, and individualized social and recreational programs. Residents are further supported through coordination of medical appointments and transportation.

Palliative care often includes pain management. This can be pharmacological, with our trained staff handling medication management and administration. It can also be non-pharmacological, with residents and day visitors benefiting from various forms of healing including aquatic therapy. Our residents and day program participants enjoy our warm water therapy pool.

Downloads: 

Sholom Johnson Hospice Brochure