DISEASE MANAGEMENT
❦ WHAT DOES DISEASE MANAGEMENT MEAN? Let’s suppose that you have just received news from your doctor that your cancer, or any illness, has progressed and, despite previous treatments, your disease is terminal. This scenario or something similar is perhaps what you may be facing right now. As the news of your diagnosis sinks in, questions you have will emerge about your diagnosis: questions that need answers. Although you may feel you are the only person in the world facing this crisis, we want you to know that you are not alone.
❦ WHAT NOW? When you have received the diagnosis of a terminal illness, your life may dramatically change. In addition to the
physical changes, you may experience a wide range of issues including: • Having questions regarding the progression of symptoms of your disease • Changes in your roles and relationships • Loss of opportunity, income and financial security • Changes in traditional family dynamics
There are people and other resources in the Bow Valley that can offer you and your family support for your physical and emotional needs through an integrated approach to hospice palliative care.
❦ WHAT IS HOSPICE PALLIATIVE CARE? Hospice palliative care is whole-person care that aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of living and dying. It addresses physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical issues, and associated expectations, needs, hopes and fears. ❦ WHAT WILL YOU FIND IN THIS SECTION? This Section of the Resource Guide offers a list of several resources that you can access related to understand- ing the progression of your illness. It will also direct you to resources to better manage the symptoms associ- ated with the progression of your illness and end-of-life care. ❦ WHAT KINDS OF DISEASES REQUIRE HOSPICE PALLIATIVE CARE? Most hospice palliative care focuses on cancer but other diseases include COPD, advanced heart, kidney and lung disease, and terminal neurological diseases, such as ALS. ❦ WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THESE NON-CANCER DISEASES? DISEASE WEB SITE
Alberta site: www.alsab.ca Canadian site: www.als.ca
ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
COPD
Canadian site: www.lung.ca/copd
Advanced Heart Disease - American Heart Association American site: www.heart.org Follow links to “Living with Heart Failure”
The key to Disease Management lies in having a good understanding of the progression of your disease. Developing a patient-centred care plan, hand-in-hand with your care team, is very important. It will help meet the unique needs of you and your family.
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www.palliativecarebowvalley.com
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