On June 13, Center for Hospice Care (CHC) announced the launch of its brand-new Kaleidoscope program, a home-based palliative care option for those with serious advanced illnesses. The program was met with applause at a gathering at CHC’s Mishawaka campus.
Palliative care is a specialized field of medicine focusing on the treatment and comfort of those with serious illnesses such as cancer. Normally, palliative care is carried out in a hospital or outpatient center setting, but Kaleidoscope will bring support home as part of its holistic approach to care.
“Kaleidoscope is a community-based palliative care program where we're seeing patients in the privacy of their own home,” said CHC Medical Director Karissa Misner. “We also still have palliative care in a clinic setting. Now we're able to offer two different entities for people that still want to go out to a doctor's appointment.”
Kaleidoscope will provide patients with expert palliative care in their own homes. The team providing care includes nurse practitioners, palliative care nurses, community health workers, spiritual care providers, and volunteers who will all support patients during their illness.
The new program is meant to enhance care already being offered to patients by creating care and treatments that wrap around each other. On top of the team from CHC, the Kaleidoscope program will help establish communication and plans with other specialists or care providers currently seeing the patient.
“Our program is the only palliative care program in the nine counties that we serve that has a multidisciplinary approach to palliative care,” Misner said. “We have not only a nurse practitioner that's taking care of the patient but also spiritual services, community health workers, nursing care, and volunteer services. It’s a very inclusive program.”
On top of providing expert care to patients, Kaleidoscope includes support for the families of those receiving palliative care in the form of connecting them to support groups and educational resources. By addressing as many aspects of living with illness as possible, CHC and its team hope to make palliative care a positive, comfortable experience for patients.
Kaleidoscope continues CHC’s mission of improving the quality of living for those in the community.
“In numerous studies, community-based palliative care is associated with favorable outcomes because patients experience better symptom management, improved emotional wellbeing, and enhanced quality of life,” John Mastrojohn III, CEO and President of CHC, said. “Kaleidoscope speaks directly to our mission.”
To be eligible for Kaleidoscope, patients must be referred by their primary care provider or specialist. From there, they will undergo a palliative care assessment to determine their mental, physical, and spiritual needs as well as any primary care provider recommendations. Once patients are in the Kaleidoscope program, they can also receive support in the form of advance care planning, disease education, and connection to support groups.
CHC is excited to bring Kaleidoscope to the community and provide even more opportunities to improve the quality of living in northern Indiana. None of it would be possible without community support from organizations like the Judd Leighton Foundation who helped provide the funding necessary to begin the program.
Center for Hospice Care is a community-based not-for-profit dedicated to providing quality care to improve the quality of living in the communities it serves. Currently, the organization serves nine counties in northern Indiana. Learn more about the services provided by Center for Hospice Care here.