Palliative Care

About Palliative Care

Palliative care is aimed at improving the quality of life for anyone with a serious illness including cancer, heart disease, pulmonary disease or neurologic disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s dementia. Palliative care focuses on supporting patients and families regardless of the stage of disease or the need for other therapies. The services provided include:

• Support with pain and complex symptom management
• Education about illness and prognosis
• Discuss goals of care and treatment options
• Assisting with family, surrogate, and caregiver needs
• Assessment of psychosocial and spiritual issues
• Completing Advance Directive and POLST forms
• End of life care and referral to hospice

Palliative care can be provided in hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient palliative care clinics or at home. Care is delivered by a team that includes palliative care specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and chaplains.