Hospice and Palliative Care

Clatsop Care Health District offers palliative and hospice care programs to address a client’s psychological and spiritual needs during their end-of-life journey, while managing symptoms and minimizing physical discomfort. Both programs incorporate a team-oriented approach, and are tailored specifically to meet the needs and wishes of clients who face a life-limiting illness or injury.

Palliative Care

Our palliative care program provides comprehensive and specialized care to clients living with a life-threatening condition, advanced illness, or decline in condition. It focuses on the client and his or her family, with the goals of alleviating suffering and promoting quality of life.

Palliative care facilitates pain and symptom management, information sharing, advanced care planning, psychosocial and spiritual support, and overall coordination of care. It is delivered at the same time as other appropriate curative and life-prolonging treatments, and is not limited to the terminally ill.

Hospice Care

Hospice care focuses on the emotional and spiritual needs of the client and his or her family as they work through end-of-life issues, while fostering a full and meaningful life for as long as possible. Hospice care is typically introduced when potentially curative or disease-modifying treatment for a terminal illness is no longer appropriate or desired. The decision to receive hospice care belongs to the client and his or her family, in consultation with the personal care physician.

Clatsop Care Health & Rehabilitation provides 24-hour skilled nursing care in a comfortable environment for clients who, for various reasons, are unable to remain in their own home while receiving hospice care. Resident care and services are provided by Clatsop Care Health & Rehabilitation staff, while Lower Columbia Hospice develops the written plan of care and provides other support services. Hospice care is also available to residents of Clatsop Care Retirement Village and Clatsop Care Memory Community, as well as to clients of Clatsop Care In-home Services.