Palliative Care
Welcome to the Department of Palliative Care
Palliative Care is a medical specialty that provides an extra layer of support, comfort and care to patients and their families with serious illnesses. Our team is designed to work with other health care providers to support the patient and provide relief from symptoms such as pain, fatigue and stress. Our focus is to optimize quality of life for both the patient and their family. We focus on all levels of care, including physical, social, intellectual, emotional and spiritual needs and to facilitate patient autonomy, access to information and choice. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative treatment.
Our Goals
- Focus on improving quality of life and reducing severity of uncomfortable symptoms by using a team approach to provide optimal care.
- Coordinate care with your other doctors and help you navigate the often-complex health care system.
- Assist with complex decision making by providing and clarifying appropriate health care information and options for care.
- Guide and support you and your family in making a plan for living well, with respect to your wishes and values.
Our Vision
All patients and their families have access to excellent palliative care. The Palliative Care team works together with other healthcare professionals to promote each patient’s comfort and well-being by helping patients and their families:
- Maintain hope
- Preserve dignity
- Ease the burdens of caregiving
- Experience comfort, care and peace
The Palliative Care team seeks to do this by providing patients and families with:
- Counseling
- Social help
- Grief counseling
- Help setting health care goals
- Symptom control
- Pain management
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Nutritional guidance
- Educational programs
- End of life planning
- Promote comfort
How do we get to meet the Palliative Care Team?
Whether you are admitted to the hospital, at home or in a nursing home, if you feel that palliative care is something that could help you or your family, simply talk to your nurse or doctor. They will contact the Palliative Care Team for you.
