Some people feel nervous when they hear the word “palliative”, but accepting this kind of care does not mean you are dying, and it does not mean you are giving up. In fact, anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain can set in at the beginning of treatment — palliative care trained practitioners understand the stresses that patients and their families face and can help them to cope. With better all-round care, good symptom management, and a comprehensive and holistic home-based care plan in place, patients are not only able to carry on their daily life, but also better able to undergo or complete their medical treatments.
No, we are not a hospice organisation. If you don’t want hospice to be involved in your care, that is perfectly OK. We want to provide care where the patient wants it which is usually at their home. Unlike hospice, the palliative care provided by Alignd can be received simultaneously with curative treatment and is offered as an extra layer of support to all other appropriate treatments.
The Alignd Palliative Care Programme is a comprehensive care programme available to all eligible members of our partner medical schemes, at no extra cost. You will have cover to receive meaningful physical and emotional support from when you are diagnosed with advanced stage or metastatic cancer, or other life-limiting diagnoses (as approved by the relevant scheme on a case-by-case motivation basis). For those with more intensive care needs, the programme does also cover end-of-life care.
Patients with serious cancer consistently report finding more comfort and support with a palliative care trained team on their side than without it. With better all-around care, symptom management, and a comprehensive and holistic home-based care plan in place, patients are less likely to require emergency services, hospitalisation and ICU stays. Family members feel more supported too.
No, this kind of extra care is provided by the specially trained team of doctors, nurses and other professionals who work together with your treating oncologist and other involved doctors such as your GP. We work in partnership with the Association of Palliative Care Practitioners of South Africa (PALPRAC). You can receive this extra layer of support while you are having curative treatment. It’s a team approach, that puts you back in control of your illness journey, and can really improve the quality of your life when you most need it.
For those with cancer support needs, we cover an initial consultation with a palliative care trained doctor ans social worker to assess your needs holistically – beyond your cancer treatment alone. Counselling for you and your family is included, as is putting in place an advance healthcare plan or living will. Three follow-up doctor consultations, and two follow-up social worker consultations per year are also covered so you’re supported throughout your treatment journey.
Should your illness be more progressed, the Alignd Palliative Care Programme offers more intensive support, including home-based palliative care, medication for symptom relief, hospital bed-hire, and limited home-based care (336 hours i.e. 2 weeks of 24-hour care or equivalent) at the end of life (this is not a replacement for frail care).
If you have been diagnosed with advanced cancer:
1. Contact Alignd directly at info@alignd.co.za, even if you just want to find out more.
2. If you are a member of any of our partner medical schemes, you can contact them directly and ask for a referral.
3. Your healthcare provider may also provide you with information about the Alignd Palliative Care Programme and how it can help you – they can also refer you to access the programme.
Once you have been referred to Alignd, your provider will need to fill out the enrolment form to sign and send back to us. Alignd will then connect you to a palliative care doctor to assist you and your family. Reach out to us at info@alignd.co.za to receive the most updated enrolment form.
If you have been diagnosed with serious cancer but don’t feel the need for extra support at the moment, we recommend you still enrol with Alignd. This step ensures that a team and a plan is ready and accessible for when you may want the extra support. If you are with one of our partner medical schemes, there is no cost to joining us, and earlier intervention typically leads to better outcomes for patients and their families.
The Alignd Palliative Care Programme offers that extra layer of specialised care and support for patients – it’s not a replacement of existing care. The palliative care team works in collaboration with involved healthcare practitioners, including the treating oncologist and the family GP.
Sometimes, even doctors think palliative care is for end of life only, and don’t want to refer their patients for fear of scaring them. If you want to access this kind of ongoing support, let your doctor know that you would like to have the Alignd care team, and his or her care too.
Your doctor can contact us if they have any questions at all.
The enrolment form needs to be completed and signed by one of your treating doctors – it could be your GP or oncologist. If you don’t have an appointment with them soon, you can simply email the form to your doctor and ask that they complete and send it on to us. Reach out to us at info@alignd.co.za to receive the most updated enrolment form.
If your doctor hasn’t yet heard of the Alignd Palliative Care Programme, you could suggest they get in touch with us to find out more.
Yes, there is a Remote Access model of care for patients in outlying areas. This programme covers for the patient’s chosen GP to provide the majority of palliative care services, with peer-to-peer virtual support from a palliative care trained doctor, in collaboration with other involved healthcare practitioners including the treating oncologist.
The Alignd Palliative Care Programme is a comprehensive care programme available to all eligible partner scheme members at no extra cost.
You may have received a call or email from us. As a formal partner of the contracted medical schemes, we have access to relevant member data. The scheme asks us to contact you and to inform you about the Alignd Palliative Care Programme when you have been identified as someone potentially eligible for the programme.
Our primary way of communicating with you is via our webapp which you can access on a mobile device or desktop computer. Our webapp includes the registration process, occasional surveys which enable us to ensure that you receive the care that you need, and opportunities for feedback on care so that we can improve.
You will also receive week-by-week information via email from us. If you prefer not to use email, you can also access all information on the webapp.
Our survey tools have been developed to help us develop a clear sense of how things are going in your pregnancy - not just with your physical wellbeing but also with your mental and emotional wellbeing. This is important so that we can direct you towards additional support when you need it, and provide expectant parents who have more complex needs with personal guidance.
Please let us know as soon as you feel able to via the webapp. We are here to support you through all of these circumstances, including enabling access to bereavement benefits. We know how insensitive it can feel to continue receiving week-by-week mailers when they’re no longer relevant to you.
