Palliative & Supportive Care
Palliative care is specialized and highly coordinated care that improves your quality of life while your physicians work to cure or manage your condition. We collaborate with your doctors on a treatment plan that supports you and your goals. And we administer care wherever you are, whether at home or in a hospital.
Life-altering conditions such as cancer, heart of lung disease and neurological disorders present very real practical and emotional challenges that go beyond medical treatment. As doctors and specialist focus on treating your medical condition, the rest of you—your physical, mental and spiritual well-being is also cared for.
A recent study from Dartmouth Medical School published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients with advanced cancer who were enrolled in a palliative care program reported higher quality of life and better moods than patients not enrolled in a program.
Overall, the evidence demonstrated that home, hospital, and inpatient specialist palliative care significantly improved patient outcomes in the domains of pain and symptom control, anxiety, and
reduced hospital admissions. The results suggest that specialist palliative care should be part of the care plan for cancer patients.
Senior Peer Companion Program
Could you benefit from having a Senior Peer Companion?
Coping with isolation and aging-related transitions can feel overwhelming. Having someone to share your concerns with can help you find direction and lessen your burden. YoloCares’ Senior Peer Companion (SPC) program is designed to connect you to another senior who has walked in your shoes and can offer a compassionate ear to help you through a difficult time. We also have adult volunteers of all ages who are committed to supporting seniors. Your companion will walk alongside you to work through the concerns and challenges you have that are associated with aging.
Program Details
The SPC program offers free peer-to-peer social and emotional support for seniors aged 60 or older who reside in Yolo County. As a client of the SPC program, you will be matched with a specially trained volunteer who is prepared to help you navigate the complexities of aging-related transitions. You and your companion will meet weekly at mutual convenience in your home, by telephone or video chat. Your companion can support you with a variety of issues, such as:
Isolation and loneliness
Adjustment to retirement, a health diagnosis, or relocation
Caregiver stress
Family conflict or boundary navigation
Situational anxiety and depression
Loss of a spouse or significant other
Access to community resources
Other age-related concerns or life challenges
Become a Senior Peer Companion
Would you like to use your life experience and challenges to help others? Volunteer companions are members of the community who are typically over the age of 55, have diverse backgrounds, and a multitude of lived experiences. We also welcome adult volunteers of all ages who are passionate about supporting seniors. Companions are trained to integrate their own life experiences as an avenue to help clients feel emotionally supported, access community resources, improve self-care, and maintain independence.
Get involved today!
Sign up as a client or apply to be a volunteer companion with the SPC program. Contact YoloCares at 530-758-5566 or email spc@yolocares.org. All referrals are confidential.
