Who might benefit?

Palliative care is for people of any age who experience life-threatening or advancing illness.  We offer assessment at the request of your physician.  You may benefit from this care if you have:

• A disease for which a cure is possible but not certain, like cancer.
• A disease for which there is no cure but where palliative care may increase the quality of life, such as congestive heart failure or chronic lung disease.
• A disease for which treatment is focused on improving quality of life, such as ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) or cerebral palsy.
• A condition that may not be progressive, but can cause life-limiting complications, such as cerebral palsy and other brain or spinal cord injury.

Palliative care is a special kind of care for people who experience advanced chronic, or progressive illness.  When an illness is no longer curable, palliative care offers symptom management with compassion.

We will help you maintain the best possible quality of life, following your wishes.  The plan of care recommended by the palliative care team will consider your desires for treatment, monitoring, and testing.  A palliative care doctor or nurse practitioner will work with your doctor, pharmacist, chaplain, physical and occupational therapists, respiratory therapist, social worker, and nutritionist. 

Along with your physical needs, palliative care tends to the social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your care.  We can also provide a support system to help relatives and friends cope with your illness.  Our goal is to focus on adding "life to a person's years", rather than "years to a person's life."*
*Consensus Statement, American Academy Pediatrics