Does anyone have experience with Palliative Care?

@ashby1947. This whole conversation on Palliative Care has been most helpful. I, too, would not be eligible for such care right now, and yet I'm trying to juggle receiving care from about ten physicians - including surgeons and specialists, physician assistants, etc., sometimes overlapping or contradicting. Would there were a service for us.

@ashby1947. This whole conversation on Palliative Care has been most helpful. I, too, would not be eligible for such care right now, and yet I'm trying to juggle receiving care from about ten physicians - including surgeons and specialists, physician assistants, etc., sometimes overlapping or contradicting. Would there were a service for us.

Hi @antillon8084, I'm glad you found this discussion. At Mayo Clinic, and I believe elsewhere, a patient doesn't require multiple referrals from specialists for access to palliative care. A referral can be made by your PCP or a particular specialist like an oncologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, neurologist, etc depending on the underlying condition that is initiating the referral.

Antillon, do you have experience with palliative care? How did you get referred?

Hi Colleen - Please see my post from yesterday. I spoke with Dr. Robinson, who was kind, professional, and informative; however, she spoke of pretty well defined criteria for whom they would and would not accept into the palliative care program. She also did not consider the referral from my PCP and referenced me as a self-referral. Perhaps that's because my PCP is not a member of the Mayo staff. I'm sure it's a great program, as, in my experience, all Mayo programs are. But apparently it is not for me. Back to the drawing board! Have a good day. Sue

@trishanna I’m sorry to hear that some of you don’t qualify yet for palliative care. We all need help as we get older! Earlier, I had mentioned geriatric care managers. They are usually masters educated nurses who try to help pull all the details together for their clients. They might be worth investigating. I’m going to see what I can find
https://www.homecarepulse.com/articles/national-association-of-professional-geriatric-care-managers/
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-geriatric-care-manager

@becsbuddy Sounds promising. I am looking right now for a new pcp and was hoping to find one specializing in geriatric medicine. My pcp has turned me over to an assistant physician, who barely knows what to say to me. She's also a by-the-book kind of person, allowing for no slight differences in folks. Alas, although we are a Midwestern medical center, no one has such a speciality, so I will be asking all my doctors if there is someone who seems a bit more involved with seniors. Since we are a center, and all my information is in that laptop doctors carry everywhere, I don't understand the lack of sharing of said information. In some cases, I suspect it's monetary concerns. Knowing my recovery from emergency surgery at a hospital would prevent my getting two simple blood tests I was scheduled for across the street at the clinic, I requested the hospital contact the clinic, get an order, and do the tests, or whatever would be the procedure. The answer was silence. And two months later, as I guessed, I'm still unable to get my tests. Looking forward to learning here, as I did with Palliative Care, so I thank you in advance.

You did not say where you are, nor where your present PCP is at. Try a search on WebMD or check with a skilled nursing facility to find out what physicians see patients at the SNF. There are some Nurse practitioners that are grounded in senior care. Geriatric care is challenging, and many times require a specialist, such as a cardiologist, pulmonologist, or neurologist. It is getting harder to find a well-rounded PCP. What kind of emergency surgery did you have. I hope you are doing well. I looked at the links @trishanna sent you. It is not a very helpful site and is designed for caregivers. They also charge an outrageous amount. More interest in profit than. actual patient care. Check with your local Medical Society or a church group. Word of mouth is usually your best source for a referral. Not sure what your health policy is, however many medicare plans have case managers and they can help. You mention 'palliative care'. There are several types, hospice care (for those with terminal illnesses who prefer to die at home. What you have may not be immediately life-threatening, however, difficult to treat. I can help you much more if you can tell me what your challenge is. Pain? Weakness, Paralysis, dementia? Do you have any support, family, friends? Let me know

@galevin Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I broke my hip and had a hip replacement. I have found this discussion so interesting - I seem to be the only one interested in geratric care amongst my friends, which is why I'm checking with my doctors, who, btw, I admire. No specific major problem, but I find myself, for example, on three different restrictive diets from three different doctors, which is almost unmanageable. Or, my surgeon put me on a "temporary" aspirin regime - not good long term, but nobody told me to stop, so I finally went back to the AP, who told me aspirin are now considered dangerous. Multiply these kind of things and it's burdensome in that I'm my husband's caretaker. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent.

@trishanna- Good morning. I would be very confused if given 3 different restrictive diets by 3 different doctors. May I ask what they are for? Does each doctor know what the others have prescribed?

@becsbuddy Sounds promising. I am looking right now for a new pcp and was hoping to find one specializing in geriatric medicine. My pcp has turned me over to an assistant physician, who barely knows what to say to me. She's also a by-the-book kind of person, allowing for no slight differences in folks. Alas, although we are a Midwestern medical center, no one has such a speciality, so I will be asking all my doctors if there is someone who seems a bit more involved with seniors. Since we are a center, and all my information is in that laptop doctors carry everywhere, I don't understand the lack of sharing of said information. In some cases, I suspect it's monetary concerns. Knowing my recovery from emergency surgery at a hospital would prevent my getting two simple blood tests I was scheduled for across the street at the clinic, I requested the hospital contact the clinic, get an order, and do the tests, or whatever would be the procedure. The answer was silence. And two months later, as I guessed, I'm still unable to get my tests. Looking forward to learning here, as I did with Palliative Care, so I thank you in advance.