Palliative Care in Chelsea, MA

When you or somebody you love gets diagnosed with a serious disease, things can change so much so quickly. Almost immediately, the number of doctor visits multiply. Whatever normal routine you followed before is forced to adapt around new symptoms, new setbacks and all the doctor appointments. Inadvertently, a spouse or family member winds up carrying that unexpected burden of daily caretaking.

Palliative care services from Visiting Angels in Chelsea are ideal for someone living with cancer, heart failure, COPD, Parkinson's disease or forms of dementia at any stage.

Camila’s Story

A 78-year old client of ours named Camila has lived in the same Chelsea apartment going on 27 years. When her cardiologist diagnosed her with congestive heart failure two years ago, their office recommended she look into palliative care to help her manage symptoms like shortness of breath and extreme fatigue during her treatment consisting of a daily diuretic, checking her weight every morning to catch fluid retention and an echocardiogram every six months.

Since Camila’s daughter lived a half hour away and worked as an HR generalist at a national insurance chain headquartered near Boston, it was nearly impossible for her to look after Camila as much as necessary. After a few short weeks trying, she realized her mom was going to need more care than she could give.

The Difference with a Palliative Caregiver

Our non-medical, skilled home aides are prepared to do everything that Camila’s adult daughter would’ve done. This includes the daily activity of sponge bathing, helping Camila dress, assisting her with moderate mobility support when toileting, and helping her move safely about the house without getting winded. Medication reminders are included so a client never skips a dose.

Our caregivers are trained to look for and note changes in our clients’ physical and emotional state too. In Camila’s case, her caregiver noticed when her ankles looked much more swollen than usual. She passed along the observation to Camila’s cardiologist. Low and behold they caught a fluid build up. Luckily it was early enough to adjust things before it warranted a hospital visit.

Ultimately, our caregivers are there not only to perform household tasks or hygiene assistance, but also to offer words of encouragement when a client’s spirits sink, a consoling arm when the tears begin to flow, and a meaningful companion in the idle hours where a person might succumb to loneliness and depression.

Meals, Errands, and the Rest of the Day

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness breeds a tremendous amount of uncertainty. With over 170 caregivers at our agency; many of whom speak Spanish too, our caregivers are able to be there with you or your loved one every step of the way, regardless of life expectancy. You can count on us to…

• Monitor a client’s mood, appetite, energy level
• Cook meals
• Share meals with the client
• Run errands
• Light housekeeping
• Laundry and dishwashing
• Shower, bath and grooming assistance
• Companionship to sit and talk
• Fall prevention
• And more!

To get the conversation going with a free, in-home consultation, call Visiting Angels in Chelsea at 617-409-9039. We are interested in learning about your unique situations, diagnosis and struggles you face that we are equipped to help you with.

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