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How to Live

at the End

It’s About

Choices

Palliative Care

Palliative care is focused on
providing relief from symptoms
and the stress of a serious illness.
It can be provided at any age and
at any stage of a serious illness.
Serious illnesses may include
cancer, heart disease, kidney
disease, Alzheimer’s, multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson’s and many The WhidbeyHealth Palliative, Hospice and Bereavement Care team includes, from left,
more. The goal of the palliative Jerald Sanders MD, Jane Hemmen ARNP, Allison Krizner MA and Carla Jolley MN, ARNP,
care team is to improve quality of AOCN, CHPN.
life for both the patient and the
family. And that means patients and their loved ones have choices.
WhidbeyHealth Palliative Care specialist Carla Jolley MN, ARNP, AOCN, CHPN, has been working with patients in palliative
care for more than 12 years. She says she feels honored that her training and her 25 years of experience as an oncology
specialist has provided her the skills to be supportive, informative and helpful to patients and families, who may feel
vulnerable during this time when there is much uncertainty and concern.
“I tell my patients who have a serious illness: ‘I’m here to focus on the whole you, the things that matter to you most, and
provide support for your struggles,’” says Jolley. “My expertise is in pain and symptom management, addressing depression
and anxiety, and helping with medications and other ways to
support quality of life issues,” she adds.
WhidbeyHealth Team If it is a caregiver that needs support, Jolley can also offer

The WhidbeyHealth team consists of two nurse help. She can provide anticipatory guidance or the “as best we know”
practitioners who can provide a consultation in the information to help prepare the caregiver for decisions to be made as
hospital, the Medical Ambulatory Care (MAC) Unit, or in their loved one starts to decline.
their home, assisted-living facilities, or a nursing home What does this look like?
if necessary. Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers
typically cover palliative care service, which is similar The team members focus “Living with serious
to seeing other specialists, such as a cardiologist or an their expert assessment illness and navigating the
oncologist. Other team members include: and symptom- healthcare system is very complicated.
management skills on
n A nurse who helps coordinate care for patients and finding out what is most Palliative care helps the patient
families and helps triage by phone. important to the patient, and family figure this out.”
family and caregivers by
n The medical palliative care social worker, who can ~ Carla Jolley, ARNP
help with emotional distress, while recommending assessing their goals and how
best to achieve them. Palliative care
resources in our community.
is often described as an extra layer of support and works
n A palliative care chaplain, who will make visits to closely with your primary care provider, hospitalist and any
address spiritual needs and concerns. other specialist.