VITAS Advantage: Complex Modalities for Residents in Senior Living Communities
How VITAS Helps You
VITAS® Healthcare is equipped to take on your residents who require complex interventions to treat their aggressive symptoms—residents for whom other hospice programs may lack resources or expertise to provide the necessary care, and who would typically be cared for in an acute care setting.
Our objectives are to ensure your resident:
- Remains comfortable
- Has their goals of care, wishes, and values honored
- Continues to receive care in your location
Partnering with your staff, VITAS clinical team members provide guidance and support for end-of-life symptom management. Our experienced full-time medical directors and regional medical directors help support your residents undergoing complex treatments as well as advise and share best practices with your team on these treatments to ensure the highest quality of symptom management.
Case Study: Patient with Advanced Leukemia
Aggressive Symptom Management and Open Formulary
Communities who have residents requiring complex interventions can benefit from VITAS’ collaborative approach in aggressively managing symptoms to avoid and ED visit or hospitalization. Many of these interventions can be performed in the resident's preferred setting of care.
Bolstered by our open formulary and proprietary home medical equipment division, VITAS offers care solutions and protocols that many other hospice providers do not, including but not limited to:
- Intravenous therapies for pain management, hydration, antibiotics and more
- Paracentesis and thoracentesis
- Chest tube/PleurX
- High-flow oxygen therapy
- Palliative blood transfusions
- BiPAP, CPAP and Trilogy non-invasive ventilation
- PEG-tube care and tube feedings
If symptoms worsen while your resident is under hospice care, VITAS can adjust the level of care if medically necessary to provide full-time clinical support and additional palliative measures until your resident’s symptoms are stabilized.
Care Coordination for Complex Interventions
When your resident receives care from VITAS, you can trust our interdisciplinary hospice teams to initiate the complex modalities required for the resident to remain comfortable in your community. We'll provide your resident's family members with updates on the care provided in your community, ensuring they feel connected to the hospice care plan that delivers 24/7 support and comfort.
With access to a variety of VITAS specialists to assist with respiratory issues, wound care and psychosocial concerns, your resident can maintain a higher standard of living as they approach the end of life.
VITAS full-time medical directors and regional medical directors collaborate with your staff to provide insights that support residents taking on complex treatments, such as:
- Pressure ulcer and wound care management
- Intensive pain and PEG tube management
- Rx antibiotics for infection as appropriate
- Reduced antipsychotic medications through proprietary VITAS protocol
- IV hydration/antibiotics
- Bronchodilators
- High-flow oxygen
- BiPAP and CPAP
- Sub-Q Lasix
- Inotropic therapy
- Supportive disciplines such as Respiratory Therapy, PT/OT, Dietary, Wound Management, pet and music therapies
- Goals of care (GOC) conversations
If your resident's symptoms worsen while your resident is under hospice care, VITAS adjusts the level of care to provide full-time clinical support, additional palliative measures until symptoms are stabilized and pain is managed.
Care Coordination for Complex Interventions
When your resident receives care from VITAS, you can trust our interdisciplinary hospice teams to initiate the complex modalities required for the resident to remain comfortable in your community. We'll provide your resident's family members with updates on the care provided in your community, ensuring they feel connected to the care plan that delivers 24/7 support and comfort.
With access to a variety of VITAS specialists to assist with respiratory issues, wound care and psychosocial concerns, your resident can maintain a higher standard of living as they approach the end of life.
