Palliative Care

 
What is Sparrow's Palliative Care Service?

This service consists of a comprehensive team of health care professionals with expertise in palliative care. Sparrow's Palliative Care Service focuses on patients with serious, life-limiting illness whose prognosis is uncertain. The primary goals of palliative care are to relieve distressing symptoms, ensure patient comfort and support patients and families with medical decision-making. This includes physical, psychological and spiritual support for patients and their loved ones.

 
What Services does Palliative Care Offer?

• Assess and manage physical symptoms, including psychological and spiritual needs.
• Assess and communicate estimated prognosis.

Quick Links: Make a Donation Sparrow's Palliative Care Service

The John F. Cawood, Jr. Memorial Fund for Palliative Care has been established. Please click here to read a letter from Rebecca Cawood encouraging you to join "John's Club". Mission Statement To provide comprehensive, quality, compassionate, accessible, and cost-effective health services which are directed toward optimizing the health care of the patients and families who have serious, life-limiting illness. For more information, please contact the Sparrow Foundation office at 517.364.5680 or send us an email.

• Assist patients and families in identifying personal goals and development of support systems in order to achieve these goals.
• Coordinate therapies, equipment and other resources so patients are able to live each day to the fullest.
• Consult with professionals for education and support of decision making related to end of life care.
• Coordinate bereavement services and support.

Our services are not restricted to those who are dying. Palliation of symptoms may be an important adjunct to life-prolonging treatments. Relief of pain and other distressing symptoms is important for a patient's quality of life. Physical, psychological and spiritual support for patients and their loved ones is included. Ultimately, these patients may continue the transition to Hospice, but some may opt to continue palliative care only.

We believe in maintaining patient dignity and supporting individual patient and family wishes. We will not hasten or postpone death.

What does a Palliative Care Service really mean to the Sparrow community?

It means that you can consult a team of healthcare professionals that will partner with you to coordinate the intricate care that is often necessary for seriously ill patients. We will assess the patient and family, develop a plan of care/recommendations, coordinate and conduct family meetings to assist you in meeting patient and family wishes during this difficult time.