Illinois-based Jacksonville Memorial Hospital recently began offering palliative care services in patient homes. The launch of the Memorial Health Palliative Care Program is intended to bridge gaps of access to advanced and serious illness care for patients and their families in the community. The hospital is part of the Memorial Health.
Memorial Health is a community-based, not-for-profit care provider that additionally focuses on education and research. By expanding palliative care services to the Jacksonville area, the hospital aims to increase support for patients facing serious illnesses, Julie Bobell, program development and engagement coordinator at Memorial Health, told a local news outlet.
“The biggest [issue] is really making sure that they have all the support that they need in their home or in their assisted living — that’s really who we are helping right now in this current time,” said Bobell. “It’s really just an extra layer of support [and] just helping them fill those gaps in their care that they really do need to be able to stay at home for as long as they can and to really help increase their quality of life.”
The new palliative care program features a multifaceted approach to care that is designed to work in tandem with existing hospice care programs when a patient reaches the need to transition to end-of-life care, according to Bobell.
In addition to home-based services, the health system also offers palliative care through locations at Springfield Memorial Hospital, Decatur Memorial Hospital, among others.
A growing aging population is driving demand for serious illness and end-of-life care in Illinois. Seniors represent 16.1% of the state’s overall population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Bureau projected that adults 60 and older will make up nearly a quarter, or 22.3%, of the population by 2030.
Hospice utilization among Medicare decedents in Illinois reached 49.7% during 2018, according to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, slightly below the national average of 50.3% that year.
Illinois last year approved a pediatric palliative care benefit. The Illinois State Assembly in June passed a bill to create an in-home palliative care benefit for children facing life-limiting conditions.
A rising number of hospice providers are offering palliative care services. Hospices represent a bulk of an estimated 50% of community-based palliative care providers nationwide, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
Value-based payment models, such as Medicare Advantage, are an additional factor sparking interest in palliative care. These models have opened new avenues towards palliative care reimbursement, with hospices weighing risks and opportunities as the payment landscape evolves.
Many in the space, and some lawmakers, have called for the creation of a dedicated community-based palliative care benefit within Medicare.
Companies featured in this article:
Decatur Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Memorial Health, Springfield Memorial Hospital
