LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and the Special Committee on Aging, toured Nathan Adelson Hospice to learn about services offered to patients and families as part of its comprehensive palliative care program.
“I put my career on hold to take care of my aging parents and in-laws, and experienced some of the many challenges that caregivers face,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “Palliative care is an option that does not get the attention it deserves and is proven to improve outcomes as well as reduce the cost of treatment. I’m working on taking bipartisan action on this issue because we must and can do more to help families caring for their loved ones.”
“We’re grateful to Senator Rosen for taking initiative on this issue in the Senate and for taking the time to hear about the challenges our medical care providers face in this arena,” said Karen Rubel, CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice. “We look forward to following up with the Senator regarding today’s productive discussion.”
BACKGROUND: According to the National Institute on Aging, palliative care “can be helpful at any stage of illness and is best provided from the point of diagnosis.” Palliative care works well alongside curative treatment for a range of conditions and helps complete the circle of meeting a patient’s needs as a whole. Reduced discomfort and disability, better care coordination, and improved outcomes are all positive aspects of integrating palliative care.
In June, Rosen introduced the bipartisan Provider Training in Palliative Care Act (S.1921) with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). This legislation would update the National Health Service Corps program to include palliative care medicine as an eligible primary care service.
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