Palliative Care

Not every illness ends with recovery. But for everyone, there is healing in understanding your condition, coming to terms with the outcome, and learning to manage pain and other symptoms.

People with a complex, serious illness such as heart disease, kidney failure, cancer, respiratory disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis and others can all benefit from this holistic care.

Palliative Care helps people with chronic disease manage symptoms of serious illness and improve their quality of life. People can continue to receive active treatment for their disease, while palliative specialists focus on helping people to live as fully and comfortably as possible. Some of these symptoms might include:

  • Pain
  • Nausea
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Anxiety
  • Loss of appetite
  • Depression

Palliative Care also assists family members to learn more about their loved one’s disease and supports them in their caregiving role. A Palliative Care team that may include a medical director, nurse practitioner, social worker and chaplain will work with a person's physician and the family to provide care. By supporting the entire family unit, palliative care helps people focus on enjoying the best quality of life possible.

Benefits for patients

  • Expertise in managing pain and other symptoms
  • Comprehensive view of the overall health situation
  • Exploration of health care choices and options for care
  • Involvement and support of family members
  • Assistance to plan future health care
  • Improved quality of life

Benefits for family

  • Peace of mind regarding care for patient
  • Access to resource person
  • Assistance with questions and concerns
  • Information and support for caregiving
  • Assistance to network with local resources