Home Connections ~ expert care, support & guidance 

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative Care specializes in the relief of pain, symptoms and stress of people affected by serious illness – whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative Care is appropriate at any point in an illness and can be provided along with other treatments.

Home Connections services include:

• Pain and symptom management to improve quality of life
• Education about the disease
• Advice on living with serious, progressive illness
• Developing goals of care
• Coping strategies for side effects from treatment
• Help with coordinating patient care
• Navigation of the medical system
• Assistance with advance care planning

We understand a patient’s quality of life is directly affected by good symptom management, a better understanding of his/her disease, and support for caregivers. When these issues are addressed, there is less anxiety about the future. We recognize that each patient is an individual, and that their needs are unique. We view ourselves as partners in our patient’s care, and see the patient and their family as vital components of the team.

Home Connections Team includes:

• Patient
• Patient’s physicians
• Palliative care-trained, nurse practitioner available to assess and manage symptoms relative to your illness
• Palliative care-trained registered nurse
• Social worker/counselor
• Volunteers
• Palliative care physician oversight

What Does Home Connections Offer:

• 24/7 on-call nurse support
• Social work visits and help accessing community support services
• Supportive discussions for healthcare decision making
• Frequent phone contact to monitor the patient’s condition and answer questions
• Trained volunteers for additional support

Where We Care for You:

We work in partnership with the patient’s physicians to coordinate and case manage in the following settings:

• Community Based — private homes
• Other Care Settings — Erie County Home Health Agencies, Developmentally Disabled Homes and Assisted Living Facilities

Who is Eligible* for Home Connections?

• Our services are covered in full by Univera as well as many of the BlueCross BlueShield and Independent Health plans*. Examples of illnesses and issues that palliative care has helped include:
• Advanced heart disease, including congestive heart failure
• Advanced lung disease, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and pulmonary fibrosis
• Cancer, whether or not the patient is undergoing active treatment with radiation or chemotherapy
• Serious progressive neurological diseases such as Lou Gehrig’s disease
• Repeated hospitalizations or emergency department visits. 

Individuals may also self-pay to receive Home Connections Palliative Care. Please call our office at (716) 989-2475 to learn more.

*BlueCross BlueShield and Independent Health are Medicare Advantage Plans with a Medicare contract. Eligibility will be determined on referral.

The Home Connections team works in partnership with the patient’s physicians to coordinate care and to help navigate the complexities of today’s healthcare system.