Palliative Care

Palliative Care is a medical specialty that cares for patients with serious illnesses and their families. It is patient-centered and family-engaged medical care that focuses on enhancing quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering. The palliative care team works along with the primary medical care team to support a child and family throughout their journey with a serious illness, beginning at diagnosis.

Services We Offer

• Expert pain and symptom management
• Guidance through complex medical decisions
• Education of complex medical conditions and treatment options
• Identification of resources to navigate the healthcare system
• Support effective communication between child, family and medical providers
• Help families make medical decisions and set goals based on their preferences, beliefs, and values
• Partners with patients, families, and physicians to develop a care plan to treat the underlying illness while easing its impact on the patient and the family
• Assistance with spiritual needs
• Provide grief and bereavement support services
• Management of the social and practical challenges of a serious illness
• Coordination of care between home and hospital

Conditions the Palliative Care Team Treats

Any patient with a medical condition that is chronic, life-threatening or life-limiting would benefit from palliative care. This may include, but not be limited to, children with:

• Genetic conditions
• Nervous system diseases
• Cancer
• Heart conditions
• Lung disease
• Kidney disease
• Prematurity
• Organ transplants