Palliative Care is specialized care focused on patients facing life-threatening or life-limiting illness or injury. The primary goal of palliative care is to provide expertise and treatment plans for symptom management, identifying the patients’ goals for their care, and providing emotional and spiritual support while considering the whole patient and their personal situation. It is not just for the patient who is at the end of life. The Advanced Care Group provides:

• Relief from pain and other physical symptoms
• Improving quality of life
• Support to the seriously ill and their family and caregivers
• Assistance to the patient and their family with difficult medical decision-making

We believe in partnering with our patients to determine the best options for managing their specific symptoms. Our team will meet with each patient to discuss their expectations and treatment goals as well as their personal values and priorities. Palliative care serves as a compliment to a patient’s usual medical treatment and is available at any stage of illness to help manage the symptoms of a patient’s treatment.

Patients who are coping with a serious illness may benefit from palliative care at any time during their treatment. These patients may still be receiving treatment aimed towards a cure. Palliative care is provided by a team of well-trained healthcare professionals who:

• understand disease processes and the effects on quality of life
• provide treatment and care options based on the individualized patient need
• provide pain and symptom management

The Advanced Care Group supports patients at the time of a new diagnosis, or when a serious illness/injury is impacting their quality of life, or in preparation for the end of life.  Our team is highly-skilled in helping patients cope with illness and the effects it may have on their families and caregivers.

Comfort and quality of life are important at every stage of illness, and these aspects of palliative care are why we assist the patient, their family, and the patient’s care providers to ensure that these issues are given the attention they deserve.

The goal of palliative care is to provide the needed support for patients facing a life-threatening or life-limiting illness, allowing them to maintain or improve their quality of life.
Our team of specialists are focused on pain relief and other symptoms (such as trouble breathing, nausea, worry or stress) during the course of a serious illness, as well as understanding and abiding by the patient’s expectations for their medical care. This process allows us to help patients and families understand their situation, support them, and work to assist them in all aspects of their comfort care.
Palliative care can be delivered at any time during a disease course, from the first diagnosis to the end stages of an illness. It may also be delivered in conjunction with a patient’s active treatment such as chemotherapy. We believe by helping patients feel their best during their treatment and allowing them to decide their “personal goals of care,” we are able to ease some of the burdens associated with serious illness.

When people reference “palliative care,” they often quickly associate “hospice care.” It is important to understand that these are two different types of care.
Palliative care is not the same as hospice care. Palliative Care is for anyone with a serious illness or injury and available for them during any time in their treatment process. It focuses on improving symptoms and helping in discussions of what patients want from their medical care.
Hospice care is a special type of medical care that is available for individuals who may have less than six months to live. Hospice is way of giving medical care in the patient’s home or care facility that is focused on maintaining comfort for those who no longer have curative treatments or who do not want to continue the process of life-extending therapies.
For many patients and families, questions about “when” or “if” hospice is the right thing for patients may arise. Palliative care visits often include education or discussions about hospice care options for those struggling with serious illness.