Palliative Care

Palliative care, also called supportive medicine or advanced illness management, is provided by a specially trained team of physicians, nurses, social workers, and other specialists working together with the patient’s physicians to provide additional supportive care. This care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It can be appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious or chronic illness. Palliative care is additional care that may be provided along with treatment.

Our palliative care team is expertly trained to provide guidance in navigating the health care system and collaborates with patients and their doctors on treatment. Our team can help at any stage of an illness, but palliative care is best when services are initiated early. We provide care during a hospital stay, after a diagnosis, and after release from the hospital.  

Chronic or advanced conditions where palliative care can often help, include:

• Cancer
• Heart failure
• Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias
• Parkinson’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) 

Palliative care services

• Management of pain and difficult-to-treat symptoms
• Education on the disease and treatment options
• Advance-care planning
• Emotional and social support
• Accessing resources
• Assistance with discharge planning 

We work closely with patients, families, and physicians to develop a personalized plan.

Call 816-932-0360 for more information and what qualifies for palliative care.