Palliative Care
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. Palliative care can be provided at any stage of an illness along with treatment meant to cure. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
A patient may receive palliative care from diagnosis onward. Palliative care results in benefits such as improved quality of life, a lower risk of depression, and a greater sense of independence and control. Families and caregivers also benefit from the social and emotional support offered in our palliative care program.
Despite the many benefits of palliative care, it is underutilized. If you or a loved one has serious, chronic or advanced illnesses, talk to your healthcare provider about palliative care that can improve comfort and quality of life.
If you’re not ready to consider hospice, you may still benefit from Good Sam’s palliative care services.
Good Sam’s model includes oversight by a palliative nurse practitioner and a team of other healthcare professionals as needed. The nurse practitioner partners with the patient’s attending physician to clarify goals of care, manage pain and symptoms, and provide support and counseling for the patient and family. The palliative care team works under the direction of Good Sam’s medical director who ensures quality of services and coordination of care.
