Palliative Care

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is specialized medical care that helps patients and their families maintain the highest quality of life when faced with serious, chronic or life-threatening illness by offering physical, emotional and spiritual support.

The palliative care team includes an advanced practice physician who is board certified in palliative care, physicians, nurses, social workers, case workers and spiritual care providers together to offer a full spectrum of expertise and resources. Our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to providing patients and families personalized, quality care, and to help them face serious illness with comfort, dignity and compassionate support.

When to seek palliative care

Palliative care is appropriate for patients who require special care to enhance the quality of life through symptom management, pain control and assistance with the challenges that accompany serious illness. The palliative care team can provide vital education and support to patients and their families and assist them with difficult decisions.

Palliative care can benefit patients who have:

• Chronic or life-threatening disease
• Conditions such as cancer, congestive heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, trauma or multisystem failure
• Eating difficulties associated with an advanced illness
• Frequent hospitalization or visits to the emergency room

How the palliative care team can help

Serious illness affects both the patient and loved ones, so the palliative care team offers patients and families quality support and services, including:

• A comprehensive evaluation that addresses the needs of patients and their families
• Coordination of all aspects of care, including medical, emotional and spiritual services
• Management of pain and symptoms, such as nausea, shortness of breath, lack of appetite, dementia, depression, anxiety or grief
• Assistance with care-related decisions and advanced-care planning
• Facilitating a smooth transition into the community after leaving the hospital
• Coordination of services for end-of-life care

Palliative care referrals

Physicians, nurses, case managers, family members or anyone involved in a patient’s care may make a referral for palliative care services. For more information or to make a referral, call Tim Corbin, M.D., palliative care director, at 760-633-2500 or Janet Hart, R.N., palliative care coordinator, at 760-274-7355.