What is Palliative Care?
If you’re getting older or living with a serious or chronic illness, you may be receiving care from a primary care doctor and one or more specialists. The care they provide is essential, but many people don’t realize there are additional services that can help manage symptoms, improve comfort and quality of life, and help out your family too.
The official term for this type of care is palliative medicine. It’s sometimes called symptom management, advanced illness care, or serious illness care. Think of it as another type of medical specialty that focuses on YOU, not your disease. Why not
choose the best and most thorough care available?
Palliative medicine provides extra help, no matter what stage you are in with a serious or long-lasting illness. It not only focuses on easing your symptoms and making you more comfortable, but it also supports your family. Palliative teams are skilled at coordinating communication among your various doctors and caregivers. Since juggling multiple medications and appointments can be confusing, having an expert to ensure everyone is informed and working together can be really helpful.
Unlike some other specialties, palliative medicine is delivered by a full team, not just doctors. Depending on your specific needs, the team can include experts in different areas, like a chaplain for emotional and spiritual support and a social worker to help connect you to non-medical services like transportation, meal delivery, or caregiving resources.
Who Is Eligible?
Snowline Palliative Care provides medical and comfort care for the seriously ill to alleviate pain and suffering. It is an extra layer of support for patients living with chronic, serious illnesses. As soon as patients are diagnosed with a serious illness, they can seek palliative care from Snowline through a doctor’s referral.
When a patient can be cured, Palliative Care helps by supporting them during their
treatments. If a cure isn’t possible, the focus changes to relieving symptoms and
providing physical, emotional, and spiritual help for both the patient and their family.
Palliative Care is intended to complement the treatment provided by the patient’s primary physician and other specialists and is provided by a team of Nurse Practitioners and Social Workers.
To learn more about our Palliative Program (previously called Supportive Care), please reach out to our team at 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338
How to Refer
Referrals – Community
Anyone can refer a patient to Snowline. If you know a person who is seriously ill and needs support, or you know someone who you think may be ready for palliative or hospice care, call Snowline at 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338
Snowline will arrange an initial evaluation. If the person is eligible for palliative care or is hospice-appropriate, Snowline will assist in obtaining a physician’s orders to begin comfort care.
Referrals – Medical Professionals
If your patient is seriously ill and needs palliative care at home, please call 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338.
To refer a patient for hospice services, please complete the Request for Hospice Orders and fax the completed form with supporting documentation to the Referral Office at Snowline:
Physician Request For Hospice – Referral Form (PDF)
Fax number: 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338
Email: snowlinereferrals@snowlinehealth.org
We will contact the patient or the patient’s family as soon as we receive your referral. For more information, please contact Snowline at 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338
Patient Request for Palliative Care
Fax number: 530-622-7032 or 916-480-9283
Email: snowlinereferrals@snowlinehealth.org
We will contact the patient or the patient’s family as soon as we receive your referral. For more information, please contact Snowline at 530-621-7820 or 916-817-2338.