Palliative Care at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (PalCare)
Promoting life in the midst of life-limiting illness
PalCareis the palliative care program for patients treated at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Palliative care is for patients and families dealing with a serious life-limiting illness or condition and focuses on the following areas:
Comfort and support for the patient and family
Quality of life for the patient and family
Continuity of care
Communication about treatment goals and choices
What can PalCare offer patients and families?
Assistance with communication with the healthcare team regarding the patient’s diagnosis, treatment options, comfort issues, quality of life and outlook for the future
Better coordination of care for patients receiving care from different sources and services
Increased focus on understanding and addressing patient and family concerns, support and comfort needs
An advocate in the healthcare system to help look at where the patient’s condition and treatment options fall in the “big picture” of the patient’s life
Support and assistance with making advance care plans for the patient when appropriate
Important points to understand about palliative care:
Palliative care means helping the patient and family have a good life no matter how long life will be
PalCare is not hospice
Patients and families do not lose any treatment options when receiving palliative care services
Patients do not have to make any advance care plans in order to receive palliative care services
PalCare involvement and support is available for as long as needed and can also be stopped at any time at the patient and family’s request
The PalCare Team
The doctors and treatment teams who follow a patient continue to follow a patient after PalCare joins the treatment team
Jill Sorrows , PalCare Social Worker, 501-364-6656 E-Mail
Linda Corrigan, Palcare Specialty Nurse, 501-364-6657 E-Mail
Dr. Carrie Brown, PalCare Medical Consultant E-Mail
