At times, a more comprehensive care is needed after a hospital stay for patients receiving treatment for a chronic or serious illness. The primary goal of Palliative Care is to improve quality of life for both you and your family. It is available for everyone—of any age, race, culture, background or religion. Palliative Care provides family and patient centered support within the home tailored to meet your physician’s Plan of Care. The focus of care for advanced illness is thus moved out of the hospital and into the home.

Palliative Care can be used at any time in your illness, not just for people who are near the end of life. Using Palliative Care does not mean there is no hope, that you have ‘given up’ or that your families don’t care. You can continue to receive curative focused treatment at the same time as receiving Palliative Care. You may be able to use complementary therapies or traditional medicine.

Palliative Care provides a continuum of specialized care choices for: 

• Chronic Disease
• Recently diagnosed serious disease
• Nausea, gastrointestinal, respiratory symptoms
• Symptoms associated with curative treatment

Proven benefits 

• Empowers you to manage your health
• Enhances quality of life by treating and preventing symptoms
• Provides advanced treatment of pain and other distressing symptoms
• Coordinates and communicates care with your primary providers
• Allows for delivery of care  within the home
• Assists with medication management
• Offers additional resources which may include home health aides, family and caregiver support and pharmacy services

Palliative Care also helps your family as they are caring for you. This may include:

• Helping your family with doctors and other appointments
• Making sure that you have the right medicine and care
• Providing your family the support to meet their needs
• A break from care
• Helping your family organize financial and legal support
• Providing support and advice even after business hours