Helping health care providers identify patients suffering with a serious illness, provide them with palliative care options, and deliver appropriate care according to each patient’s preferences.
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness.
This program was made possible through our generous donor, Marquis Health Consulting Services.
In palliative care, we want to help get you or your loved one back to doing the things that bring meaning and joy to daily life. Our goal is to help you live life the way you want by understanding what matters to you. Palliative care clinicians see you as a whole person, not just a patient. We aim to ensure that you receive the physical and emotional support needed when living with a serious illness.
Including palliative care in her treatment allowed this grandmother to get back to doing what she loves. (Center to Advance Palliative Care)
Palliative care is appropriate at any age and any stage of an illness. For children with a serious illness and their families, palliative care can have a huge impact. (National Institute of Nursing Research)
Dr. Ihrig explains the benefits of palliative care that prioritizes a patient’s personal values and navigates a serious illness with dignity and compassion. (Tedx Talks)
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Learn more about palliative care by reading answers to questions others have asked.
Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It is provided by a specially-trained team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work together with your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. The goal is to improve your quality of life.
To do this, the palliative care team will:
In short, you can expect that your quality of life will be improved. You will have relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. You can also expect close communication and more control over your care. Palliative care will help you carry on with daily life. It will improve your ability to go through medical treatments. And it will help you to match your goals to your treatment choices.
Most insurance plans cover all or part of palliative care, just as with other hospital and medical services. This is also true of Medicare and Medicaid. If costs concern you, a social worker or financial consultant from the palliative care team can help you with payment options.
No. The palliative care team provides an extra layer of support and works in partnership with your primary doctor.
Yes, absolutely. Your treatment choices are up to you. You can have palliative care at the same time as treatment meant to cure you.
Everyone involved! Patients as well as family caregivers are the special focus of palliative care. Your doctors and nurses benefit too, because they know they are meeting your needs by providing care and treatment that reduces your suffering and improves your quality of life.
Palliative care is available in a number of places. More and more, palliative care is available outside of the hospital in the places where you live. You, your doctor and the palliative care team can discuss outpatient palliative care or palliative care at home. Some hospitals also offer outpatient palliative care even if you have not been in the hospital. Check with your doctor. These include hospitals, outpatient clinics and at home.
Recent cancer guidelines say that cancer patients should receive palliative care early and together with their other treatments. People who are newly diagnosed with advanced cancer should receive a palliative care consult within eight weeks of their diagnosis. Read the guidelines
Living with a serious illness? Palliative care can help. This specialized medical care can be provided with your other care to help improve your quality of life.
Patients with a serious illness are facing a complex and challenging burden. Learn how you can offer patients an additional layer of support through palliative care.
Health care professionals from participating long-term care facilities can access palliative care resources through the Community Palliative Care Collaborative portal.
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