Comfort Care

Bridgton Hospital Provides Comfort Care: Compassionate, Specialized End-of-Life Care For Patients

Bridgton Hospital provides special care, known as Comfort Care, for patients nearing the end of life. Comfort Care is a process which affirms life and regards dying as a natural process. We recognize the end-of-life experience as a profoundly personal experience for the patient and his/her family and loved ones.

The Comfort Care Mission

We provide an option to patients and families as medical care changes from curing strategies to comfort measures at the end-of-life transition. We are here to help the dying patient who wishes to address issues of life completion and life closure.

Our Goals

• To provide ongoing pain management and symptom control, realizing that the patient’s conditions and needs may change.
• Maintenance of the patient’s optimal physical, psychological and spiritual status.
• Respect for patient/family goals, preferences and choices.
• Providing an environment for privacy and personal dignity in accordance with patient/family wishes.
• Being sensitive to and supportive of the personal, cultural and religious values, beliefs and practices of the patient/family.
• To offer a multidisciplinary team approach that includes but is not limited to: physicians, nurses, pharmacists, pastoral care, social workers, dietary counselors and volunteers.
• To provide supportive services to caregivers.
• To educate and empower patients/families to take an active role in their end-of-life care and in making decisions, including appropriate advance planning measures.
• Keep communication ongoing, with continuity and coordination of care to assure that changing needs/goals are identified and addressed.
• Provide a consistent environment during the last week of life.

For more information about Comfort Care, call 207-647-6000.