Few things are more overwhelming than navigating the healthcare system with a serious illness, whether you’re the patient or the caregiver. Days are filled with a whirlwind of doctors, tests and appointments, and trying to understand medical terminology. We know the frustration that comes with another bill for treatment, and the mental and emotional exhaustion from making difficult decisions. And all the while, unwanted symptoms and side effects feel unavoidable.
We’ll help you navigate what comes next.
Our focus is on physical, emotional and spiritual support to help you and your family cope, and live a better life in the face of your serious illness. Even if you don’t feel you need everything we offer now, enrolling on diagnosis will give you access to what you do need, and easy access in future to more support if it becomes necessary.
The palliative care team is truly amazing. Always on time, and they gave the best care and support to my mom. The Alignd care partner was wonderful too. She checked on us constantly, and made sure my mom was getting the best care.
You deserve better.
You and your family deserve to understand your treatments, medications, and options. You deserve clear, unbiased advice on complex decisions. You deserve to be able to talk openly, and have your goals known and recorded. And you deserve to be treated for more than just your illness. That’s how Alignd can help.
Some of the things we can do.
- We can help provide relief from illness symptoms – like pain, or trouble sleeping – and we can help you cope with stress of managing a serious illness.
- Our specially trained team of doctors, nurses and other professionals are trained to deal with cancer, and we can give you answers in simple language.
- We can help you plan for the future and set up an advance care plan or living will.
- If you need us to, we have practical resources we can put in place for you at home.
- With our care plan, we can help you avoid unnecessary testing and hospital visits.
- We will support you throughout your illness journey, and should your illness progress, we can assist with home-based palliative care, medication for symptom relief, hospital bed-hire, and limited home-based care at the end of life.
How you can enrol with Alignd.
If you have been diagnosed with advanced cancer, there are a few ways you can enrol with us:
- You can contact us directly at info@alignd.co.za.
- If you would prefer to go through your medical scheme (currently Fedhealth and Bonitas), they can refer you to us too.
- Your doctor and social worker 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 doctor will need to fill out and sign the enrolment form and send it back to us. Alignd will then connect you to your care team to assist you and your family.
What you can expect on the Alignd journey.
For those with cancer support needs, we cover an initial consultation with a palliative care trained doctor 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. Follow-up doctor consultations, and consultations with your social worker 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).
