What Is Advanced Illness Management or AIM Care?
Advanced Illness Management is a broad term used to describe a health care program that focuses on helping patients who have an advanced disease state or chronic debilitating illness. Patients admitted to AIM often have complex needs that require specialized care and attention. Important elements of Advanced Illness Management include attention to the physical, spiritual, and social aspects of illness including extensive Advanced Care Planning and a focus on palliation over curative therapies.
Our Mission
Bristol Advanced Illness Management is committed to caring for patients with serious illnesses and debilitating chronic medical conditions and their families, to help them live as fully and comfortably as possible. Bristol AIM affirms that all patients and families entrusted to our care will be treated with the highest level of compassion, respect, and quality of care.
Who are we?
Bristol Advanced Illness Management provides palliative care services to patients with a serious illness. The Bristol team of physicians, nurse practitioners and social workers work with the patient’s existing healthcare team to provide continuity and management of care wherever the patient lives. Palliative care services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurances.
What do we do?
Bristol palliative care services provide an extra layer of support to patients and families by managing symptoms, providing disease related education, conducting goals of care and advanced care planning discussions and ensuring patients are receiving the right level of care at the right time.
The Bristol AIM team strives to enhance the patient’s quality of life. Visits are scheduled according to the patient’s and family’s needs.
When is Palliative Care appropriate?
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- Palliative care services can be provided at any stage of advanced or serious illness.
- Common issues treated by palliative care providers:
- Diagnoses:
- Heart Failure
- Cancer
- COPD
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Symptoms:
- Pain
- Shortness of Breath
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Nausea
- Diagnoses:
Palliative care is provided alongside other medical services and is considered a specialty service. Our Palliative Providers work closely with patient’s PCP’s, home health and other specialists to ensure excellent communication. If a patient has uncontrolled pain or other symptoms associated with their serious illness we are the experts that consult to help manage this. We also specialize in having goals of care discussions with patients and their families to discuss and make plans about their future healthcare.
Palliative care is provided along with other medical services such as cardiac, cancer care, home health and therapies.
Why Bristol AIM?
We provide specialized care and support for patients during the end stages of their serious illness. Our services help patients define their goals, manage symptoms, and transition to appropriate end-of-life care. With compassion and expertise, we guide patients and families through this difficult time.
The Bridge to Increasing Care Needs:
- Decrease the need to return to the Emergency Room or hospital
- Manage symptoms effectively from the comfort of the patient’s residence
- Discuss and complete Advanced Care Directive Documents
- Relieve Suffering and stress leading to an improved quality of life for the patient and family
- Serve as a patient advocate when assisting in coordination of care within the patient’s health care team
- Provide a bridge to the next level of care for the patient ensuring the right level of care at the right time