The Indiana-based Center for Hospice Care (CHC) has unveiled a new palliative care program, branded as Kaleidoscope.
Kaleidoscope is designed to provide patients with interdisciplinary palliative care in the home setting. Their care model includes services from nurse practitioners, palliative care nurses, community health workers, spiritual care providers and volunteers. The nonprofit also provides palliative care in a clinic setting at its Center for Palliative Care.
“Kaleidoscope is a community-based palliative care program where we’re seeing patients in the privacy of their own home,” CHC Medical Director Karissa Misner told local news. “We also still have palliative care in a clinic setting. Now we’re able to offer two different entities for people that still want to go out to a doctor’s appointment.”
In addition to clinical care, the Kaleidoscope program will aid caregivers by helping them connect to support groups and education. The program will serve patients in northern Indiana. The Center for Hospice Care funded the service through philanthropic donations.
Similar to national trends, demographics are accelerating demand for serious illness care in the Hoosier State. Indiana University’s Business Research Center projected that seniors will represent 20.9% of the state’s overall population by 2050. This is up from 16.4% currently, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Our program is the only palliative care program in the nine counties that we serve that has a multidisciplinary approach to palliative care,” Misner told local news. “We have not only a nurse practitioner that’s taking care of the patient but also spiritual services, community health workers, nursing care and volunteer services. It’s a very inclusive program.”
