In some ways, Jason Henderson is an average 28-year-old. He loves watching sports, his mother’s homemade southern cooking, God, and his church.
In other ways, Jason deals with things a person his age should never have to face. As a child, he was diagnosed with liver disease and suffered various health complications, keeping him homebound and out of school. As a young adult, Jason was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and liver cancer. Today, Jason lives at home with his mother, Patricia, who is also his caretaker.
“He’s my miracle child,” said Patricia. “He tells me it’s his fault he’s sick, but I always remind him it’s just something that happens to some people.”
In the spring of 2023, Patricia noticed Jason’s health rapidly declining. He struggled to get out of bed.
“My body hurt,” said Jason. “It was a depressing time. I wanted to be better for myself and my mom. We needed help.”
After speaking with his doctor, Patricia made an appointment to speak with Hospice and In-Home Palliative Care at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC). In-home palliative helps patients manage symptoms, provides emotional and spiritual support, and offers comprehensive care tailored to the needs of the patient and their family.
Jason’s team made changes to his medication and helped connect him with support services and symptom management, and soon Jason began to talk more, smile more and breathe easier. One of the most remarkable developments was the new wheelchair provided by Northeast Georgia Home Health.
“With my new wheelchair, we’re able to get outside, walk the garden, and eat at nearby restaurants.,” said Jason. “My care team was awesome. I feel so much better and look forward to each new day.”
Hospice & In-Home Palliative Care
To meet the individualized needs of patients like Jason, Northeast Georgia Medical Center offers the Hospice & Palliative Medicine fellowship program. This one-year community-based training program is designed to equip fellows with the education and training to become expert palliative medicine physicians. The fellowship underscores the growing awareness and demand for clinical palliative care resources and highlights the importance of having specialty-trained physicians to provide this critical support.