As a market-leading specialty infusion provider, Paragon Healthcare has served as a patient advocate, offering unmatched service for more than fifteen years. We provide patients a creative, personalized approach to their care. Through our Home Infusion Therapy division, we strive to meet the needs of the hospice patient, whether they have their hospice experience at home or an in-patient facility. This program helps hospice and palliative care agencies manage a patient's severe symptoms due to life-altering or limiting diseases. Paragon can provide services for pain management, nutritional support, hydration, antibiotics, and much more. Our commitment to patients is to maximize their comfort and improve their quality of life.

What is Hospice?

Hospice is a holistic approach to caring for patients that have a terminal disease. In addition to meeting the medical needs of a patient, hospice strives to help with the mental and spiritual wellbeing of both the patient and their loved ones. Hospice is reserved for patients who have less than twelve months of life expectancy but is often elected when a patient has less than six months of life remaining. This should not be confused with palliative care, which provides symptom management for patients that receive a life-altering diagnosis.

Pain Management.

A common fear that patients associate with disease or death is pain. Paragon works very closely with both palliative care and hospice agencies to manage these symptoms. Depending on the type and severity of a patient's pain, hospice and palliative care agencies will utilize a variety of therapies to address pain. These can include mental wellness, physical therapy, and, when necessary, pain medication. If pharmaceutical intervention is needed, Paragon will work with the hospice or palliative care agency to select the right medicines to provide patients with relief while maintaining cognitive abilities. Paragon utilizes narcotics, non-narcotics, or a combination of both to combat pain.  

Nutrition Support.

Keeping patients nourished through their hospice experience is another priority for Paragon. All nutrition-based care plans should be discussed and agreed upon by both the physician and the patient. Paragon can help with either enteral nutrition (EN) from a feeding tube or parenteral nutrition from vascular access (TPN). Paragon's team of registered dietitians, pharmacists, nurses, and IV technicians will work with the agency to fulfill the agreed-upon nutrition-based plan of care.

Hydration.

Dealing with the symptoms of dehydration is very common. There are a large variety of reasons that a patient may suffer from dehydration, either because of a disease or as a side effect of a medication. To help combat the effects of severe dehydration, Paragon can provide a wide range of intravenous fluids. 

Cardiac Support.

In America, one in every four deaths is directly related to heart disease. Paragon offers a variety of treatment options for patients facing chronic heart disease. These medications can be used to either extend the life of a patient or, in the case of hospice care, alleviate the symptoms associated with heart disease. Whether on an inotropic medication or diuretics, Paragon's patients report a massive reduction in shortness of breath, fatigue, and cognitive issues associated with heart disease.

How is Paragon Different?

In our home infusion pharmacies, hospice patients take immediate priority. We work together with hospice agencies to ensure the medication required for their patients is available when needed.

Our team of dedicated healthcare professionals is here to provide support. Learn about our staff's different roles and how we can serve you and your patients.

• Clinical Pharmacists ensure safe, effective medications, and can also assist with equal analgesic dosing to convert oral medications to infusion medications.
• Registered Nurses with extensive clinical backgrounds in specific disease states and services manage each case. They are also available to train hospice staff on infusion equipment.
• Nutrition Support Dietitians provide consultation on appropriate treatment protocol regarding specific dietary needs.
• Service Representatives manage drug and supply inventories for each patient. They are available 24 hours a day for the needs of your patients.

Our Hospice Support Team Provides:

• 24-hour on-call pharmacy support
• An individually tailored, documented care plan
• Care coordination with physician upon updates
• Clinical nutritional monitoring
• Continuity of care
• Pharmaceutical services for both adult and pediatric patients
• Pharmacy and nursing documentation reports

Paragon Healthcare Also Offers:

• Anti-emetics
• Catheter maintenance
• Diuretic therapies
• Immune globulins (IVIG)
• Inotropic therapies
• Pre/Post-Transplant therapies
• And more

For more information about Paragon Healthcare, our Home Infusion Therapy division, or our Hospice Support Program, visit our website at https://paragonhealthcare.com/.

Resources:

• Hospice Foundation of America – HFA educates the public and healthcare professionals about death, dying, and grief. HFA brings together the nation's leading experts to contribute to the content of HFA's books, web-based tutorials and programs, and videos. Hospice Foundation of America also funds research about hospice care, supports specific hospice and grief initiatives (such as children's grief camps), and financially assists hospice providers in times of disaster. Hospice Foundation of America is funded through the generosity of donors and sponsors, sales of its award-winning books, videos, and publications. Hospice Foundation of America is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit https://hospicefoundation.org/.
• For grief support, visit https://hospicefoundation.org/End-of-Life-Support-and-Resources/Grief-Support.
• CDC Heart Disease Source: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm#:~:text=Heart%20Disease%20in%20the%20United%20States&text=About%20647%2C000%20Americans%20die%20from,1%20in%20every%204%20deaths.&text=Heart%20disease%20costs%20the%20United,year%20from%202014%20to%202015.&text=This%20includes%20the%20cost%20of,lost%20productivity%20due%20to%20death.