Palliative Care

Improve Your Quality of Life

Patients with chronic or life-limiting conditions may benefit from consultation with our Palliative Care Service. These consultations begin with expert attention to symptom management, including relief of pain, nausea and other troubling side effects of advanced disease and its treatment. At the same time, sensitive, patient- and family-centered bedside conversations help the team understand your personal goals of care. An important role of palliative care is to ensure that the wishes of patients and families are understood by the whole health care team and reflected in every treatment decision.

• provide expert treatment of pain and other symptoms to ensure the best relief possible
• discussion that is centered on you and your family about goals of care
• coordination of your care with you, your family and health care providers
• emotional support for you and your family

The palliative medicine team will talk with you and your family, and work with your health care team to ensure that your treatment plan provides the best quality of life. If you are interested in learning more about palliative care, please ask a member of your health care team or call the Palliative Medicine Department at (631) 351-2007.

Your type of treatment depends on the kind of relief you want. If you have pain, you may be prescribed medicine or physical therapy. For anxiety, treatment may include joining a support group. Palliative care comes in many forms since it works to treat all of you, not just your condition.

Different From Hospice Care

Like hospice, palliative care focuses on patient comfort and support. But palliative care can be given at any stage in your condition along with your regular treatments. Hospice care happens toward the end of life, when treatments are no longer helping.