Palliative Support Services

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It is care that focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness regardless of their diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both our patients and their family members.

Palliative care focuses on physical, psychosocial and spiritual wellness. The Palliative Support Services team includes specialized healthcare providers. These providers consist of a physician, nurse practitioner, nurse, chaplain and social worker.  By working with our patients’ other providers, palliative care provides an extra layer of support to patients and their families. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage during a serious illness. It can be provided along with curative treatment.

Is palliative care the same as hospice care?

Palliative care is not the same as hospice care; it does not serve only people who are dying. Palliative care makes the important distinction between care that adds value to a patient’s life and care that sustains life. It focuses on improving life and providing comfort to people with serious, chronic or life-threatening illnesses. When it comes to quality of life, each patient has his or her vision, and palliative care supports that.

Palliative care improves healthcare quality in three significant ways:

• Effectively relieves physical and emotional distress

• Strengthens communication and decision-making among patients, family members and physicians

• Ensures well-coordinated care

How can palliative care help you?

You may want to ask your provider for a palliative care consultation if you have a chronic, incurable illness and are having any of these thoughts:

• I need extra help managing the symptoms of my illness.

• I wish I understood more about my condition.

• My family doesn't understand my illness.

• I want to remain as well as possible and as independent as possible.

• I want to make decisions about my healthcare before I am too ill and unable to make my own decisions.

• I need to talk to someone about dying but I am scared and don't know who to turn to.

The Palliative Support Services team at LMH Health can assist you and your family by making sure that you understand your illness, treatment options and prognosis. We can help manage uncomfortable symptoms that you may experience.

We can assist with advance care planning, establishing care goals, discussing care options and planning for needs. We will help coordinate all of your care and ensure that your primary care provider understands your condition and your goals of care.