Palliative Care

During a serious illness, the goal of palliative care is to prevent and ease suffering and improve quality of life for both patients their family.

If you’re living with a serious illness, you may experience symptoms such as pain, fatigue (tiredness) or nausea. Treatments you undergo may even cause additional side effects. Palliative care focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness so that you can live life more comfortably.

Our multidisciplinary team is specially trained to help you better understand your illness, plan for decisions that may need to be made and coordinate treatment provided by multiple caregivers. Your physical, psychological, spiritual and practical needs are all included as a part of your care plan. This holistic approach to care helps enhance the quality of life for patients struggling with serious, potentially life-limiting illnesses. Our team works with your doctors to provide an extra layer of support.

• Expert treatment of pain and other symptoms so you can get the best relief possible.
• Open discussion about treatment choices, including treatment for your disease and management of your symptoms.
• Assistance with completing advance directives, including durable power of attorney forms for medical decisions and physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST) forms.
• Coordination of your care with all of your health care providers.
• Improved communication between you and your health care providers.
• A smooth transition between the hospital and home, hospice or other health care services.
• Emotional and spiritual support for you and your family.

• Pain
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Constipation
• Nausea (the feeling that you might throw-up)
• Loss of appetite
• Problems with sleep
• Side effects from medical treatments

Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with treatment. The availability of palliative care doesn’t depend upon whether or not your condition can be cured.

You may want to consider palliative care if you or a loved one:

• Suffer from pain or other symptoms due to any serious illness.
• Experience physical, emotional or spiritual pain that is not under control.
• Need help understanding your situation, coordinating your care and making decisions about your care.

You do not give up your own doctors in order to receive palliative care. Instead, our Palliative Care team and your doctors work together. If you’re interested in a consultation, ask your primary care provider for a referral.

Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover all or part of the palliative care treatment you receive in the hospital, just as they would other services. ​