Palliative Care

What is Palliative Care?

Dealing with the symptoms of any painful or serious illness can be difficult. At Dignity Health, special care is available to make you feel more comfortable during this stressful time. It’s called palliative care. 

Palliative care focuses on the physical and emotional needs of people living with serious illness. The goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life and assist with symptom management, such as pain and anxiety relief. Unlike hospice care, palliative care is appropriate at any stage of serious illness and can be delivered at the same time as life-saving treatments and therapies. Palliative care focuses on holistic, whole person care of the patient and family members. 

Palliative Care Services

Palliative Care Team members collaborate with patients, their families and other members of their health care team to:

• Reduce or control pain or debilitating symptoms
• Assist in discussions about goals of care, prognosis and treatment options
• Assist in education about Advance Directives and POLST forms
• Educate patients and families about the disease process and the course of illness
• Attend to the emotional, spiritual, social and daily needs and goals of the patient and family
• Establish and maintain an environment that is comforting and healing
• Serve as educators and mentors

If you or someone you love would benefit from the inpatient care offered by the Mercy San Juan Medical Center Palliative Care team, please call 916.537.5112.