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Palliative care
During the heart failure consultation, we assess whether you have heart failure and tailor your treatment to your individual needs. A specialist heart failure counselling service also provides support in managing the condition in your day-to-day life.
Palliative care is aimed at people with incurable, life-threatening or chronically progressive illnesses. Rather than seeking a cure, treatment focuses on alleviating the pain, symptoms and distress associated with the illness. Our interprofessional care team consistently bases its approach on the values and goals of the person concerned.
Your treatment at Zuger Kantonsspital
Together with you and your family, we work out which medical treatment and care are best suited to your situation. The focus is on the goals and wishes of the person concerned. We organise and coordinate a support network to ensure that care can be provided at the desired location, whether at home or in a care setting. The wellbeing of family carers is also very important to us. Where necessary, we can arrange suitable support services.
Why the Zuger Kantonsspital?
Our specialist palliative care team combines medical expertise with a caring, personalised approach. We work closely with referring doctors, home care services and other specialist departments to ensure that care is seamlessly coordinated.
What we offer
Outpatient consultations
Treatment to relieve pain and other symptoms
Advice on difficult decisions, clarifying expectations and goals
Advance healthcare planning (e.g. drawing up a living will and an emergency plan)
Optimising care at home and liaising with support services (e.g. Spitex, palliative care Spitex, domestic help, meal delivery services, etc.)
Emotional support for you and your relatives
Consultation service
The palliative care consultation service offers expertise and support to healthcare professionals, both within and outside the hospital, in complex medical situations. Together, we strive to find the best possible solution for the patient and their family. This involves close collaboration with the relevant specialist departments and services (e.g. social work, physiotherapy, dietary advice, etc.).
Where necessary, the consultation service takes part in discussions with patients, particularly in cases involving complex decision-making or discharge planning, together with relatives or outpatient services (e.g. palliative care home care).
Comprehensive palliative care
Comprehensive palliative care is available to in-patient patients at Zuger Kantonsspital and offers a structured care pathway aimed at providing holistic care for patients with advanced disease and a limited life expectancy, whilst involving their relatives.
To this end, an interprofessional care team is put together, which focuses on the jointly agreed care goal and the needs of the person concerned. Family members are involved through round-table discussions, during which further medical and nursing measures are discussed. Forward-planning ensures a seamless transition to the desired care setting.
Information for referring doctors
To enable us to organise the consultation hours as effectively as possible, we ask that the referring doctor submit a written referral. Patients will then be contacted directly by our reception.
Registration
When registering patients, we ask for the following details:
Administrative details (full personal details, telephone number, health insurance, including insurance number)
Medical details (list of diagnoses, current medication list, clinical presentation)
Brief description of the clinical situation
Supporting documents such as relevant reports on previous examinations carried out by other specialists, including laboratory tests, radiological examinations, etc.
Reports
The referring doctor will receive a summary report on the clinical assessment and the therapeutic measures. Further reports will be provided as the course of treatment progresses, following any relevant adjustments to pharmacotherapy or changes in the decision-making process.
What is the difference between palliative care and end-of-life care?
Palliative care often begins early in the course of an illness, not just in the final stages of life. The aim is to relieve pain and symptoms and to support quality of life, regardless of how far the illness has progressed. End-of-life care is part of this and becomes particularly important in the final stages of life.
Who is eligible to attend the outpatient palliative care clinic?
The outpatient clinic is aimed at patients with a terminal or progressive illness, as a complement to existing treatment provided by other specialists. Referrals are made by a GP or a specialist.
Do relatives also receive support from palliative care services?
Yes. The well-being of relatives is a key part of the care we provide. Where necessary, we arrange support services and actively involve relatives in discussions about treatment planning.
Can palliative care also be provided at home?
Yes. We coordinate a support network – for example, with Spitex or Palliative Spitex – to ensure that care can be provided at the patient’s preferred location, including outside hospital.
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