When most people think of hospice, they think of only end-of-life care. That’s what Jim Hess thought before he used their services for both of his parents and in-laws.

As Hess found out, Hospice of North Central Ohio (HNCO) offers a variety of services for patients with a chronic illness, including Life’s Seasons palliative care. This type of care provides relief from symptoms, monitors illness and sustains the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, all within their homes or care facilities. It is a holistic approach, including physical, emotional, social and spiritual care.

“Our palliative care is different,” Life Seasons Certified Nurse Practitioner Brad Bostic said. “It focuses on symptom control and quality of life. We encourage patients with a life expectancy of years rather than months to get involved with us so that we can help them understand their disease.”

While general hospice care focuses on helping patients with a life expectancy of 6 months or less, palliative care matches the goal of hospice care in improving quality of life for patients.

Jim and his brothers met with a team from Life’s Seasons about four years ago to discuss whether palliative care would be beneficial for his parents. They decided it would be, and both of his parents were enrolled in Life’s Seasons Palliative Care for about two years. They saw a team of aids, social workers and CNPs as needed.

His mother had a disease that affected her mobility, and this made it difficult for Jim to take her to the doctor every time they had concerns.

“They would get us all of the equipment and supplies we needed,” Hess said. “It was difficult to get my mom in a wheelchair and in the car to get to the doctor. With Life’s Seasons, we didn’t need to leave the house. If we needed oxygen, they got her oxygen, and it was delivered right to us.”

A Life’s Seasons certified nurse practitioner routinely visits patients in their homes while primary care physicians or specialists coordinate treatment and care. Life’s Seasons also offers registered nurse visits along with chaplain, bereavement and social services for patients as needed.

Jim’s father’s condition involves his developing cognitive impairments.

“He still saw the family doctor once or twice per year, but he saw the palliative care team every 4 to 6 weeks. They came to him in his setting and were able to see just how quickly his condition was progressing. They were able to make recommendations more accurately.”

Hess expressed several times how compassionate and patient the Life’s Seasons palliative care team was with his entire family. They partnered with the family’s doctor to ensure everything Hess’ mother and father needed was ordered quickly and delivered as soon as possible.

“The palliative care gave us access to medically trained and experienced people,” Hess said. “Life Seasons helped us through the process and always explained everything we could do to help my parents be as pain-free as possible.”

The palliative care team also helped the family with the transition to hospice care for both parents.

“They recommended when they thought it was time to move into hospice care,” Hess said. “That was a tremendous load taken off of mine and my brothers’ shoulders; to know that we didn’t have to make that decision on our own. And they recommended it at the perfect time, for both of my parents.”

The process of seeing a parent age and seeing them struggling will never be easy, but Hess  said HCNO made this process much more bearable for his family.

Hess also spoke about how he and his family felt taken care of during this time.

“It was so much more relaxing to know that we had experts to turn to. It was easier for us, because we knew we were giving our parents the best possible care,” Hess said.

Bostic said a goal of Life Seasons palliative care is to offer guidance and support to patients and their families.

“It’s their body, their health and their choices,” Bostic said. “We are here to guide them with any changes that come along with the disease process.”