LINK is a palliative care program that has been developed to provide supportive end-of-life care to those individuals and families not enrolled on the Hospice program.

The goals of LINK are as follows:

Listen to patients and families.

Inform patients and families of resources in their communities.

Navigate the health care system.

Knowledge and educate patients and families on health care choices, treatments.


Eligibility Criteria:
Patients must be diagnosed with an advanced stage of a life limiting illness with a physical and/or psychosocial need.

Making a Referral:
Anyone can make a referral, including:

• Healthcare professionals
• Family members
• Friends
• Clergy

Charge:
LINK charges a monthly fee for services. A sliding fee scale based on household size, current income and medical expenses is used to determine fees.

Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

When to consider LINK

• Recurrent hospital admission for advanced illness
• Difficult symptom management
• Changing plan of care
• Distress, anxiety or loss of hope
• Conflict among patient and family regarding course of treatment

The LINK Team
The LINK team consists of a registered nurse, licensed social worker, volunteers and patient. They work as a team to develop a care plan that meets the patient’s physical and emotional health needs. The care plan may address such needs as pain and symptom management, nausea, fatigue, education on diagnosis, depression, anxiety and fear to increase the overall wellbeing of the patients and family.

The benefits of using LINK are:

• Improved quality of life for patients and family
• Expert pain and symptom control of physical, emotional, spiritual or social conditions
• Enhanced communication between patient and healthcare providers
• Assistance with coping with your illness and education regarding treatment options
• Assistance with completion of advance directives
• Volunteer companionship