What is a palliative care program

This is a medical specialty that aims to relieve suffering and make sure your health care is comprehensive and compassionate. Having a palliative care provider as part of your medical team gives you an added layer of support, in addition to your regular treatment.

Research shows that palliative care can benefit a patient's health and well-being, and may help to prolong life. Family and caregivers also benefit from palliative care. Counseling and caregiver support are part of our services. The goal of palliative care is to improve the quality of life of those with serious illness. It is not the same as hospice care or end-of-life care. Although all of these types of care do focus on comfort and support, palliative care often begins at diagnosis and continues during treatment and beyond.

Palliative care is sometimes called "supportive care" because it aims to prevent or treat, as early as possible, the symptoms and side effects of a disease and its treatment. Palliative care also addresses emotional and spiritual issues. Palliative care does not mean that you have to give up any other medications or treatments. Our palliative care providers work with your other doctors to help you achieve your best quality of life throughout treatment.

You will continue to receive care from your regular doctors. Palliative care appointments are available to UC San Diego Health patients who have been diagnosed with a serious medical condition. Palliative care specialists improve quality of life for the patients whose needs are most complex. Working in partnership with the primary physician, the palliative care team provides:. Numerous studies show that palliative care significantly improves patient quality of life and lowers symptom burden.

Apart from being the right thing to do for patients, this improved quality of life also means that an encounter with the health care system is less stressful and traumatic for families. Studies consistently show improvements in both quality measures and resource utilization once palliative care is introduced. Visit The Case for Palliative Care for more detail.

The field of palliative care has shown stunning growth over the last 15 years. Palliative care services include support for the many difficult situations and decisions you and your family make when you're facing a serious illness or approaching the end of life. You and your family may talk with a palliative care social worker, chaplain or other team member about stress, spiritual questions, financial concerns or how your family will cope if a loved one dies.

The palliative care specialists may offer guidance or connect you with community resources. Your palliative care team collaborates with your regular doctors to ensure your care is well-coordinated. Explore Mayo Clinic studies of tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.

Palliative care care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Palliative care is specialized medical care that focuses on providing patients relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness, no matter the diagnosis or stage of disease.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Get palliative care. Center to Advance Palliative Care. Accessed Oct. National consensus project for quality palliative care. Kamal AF, et al. Palliative care consultations in patients with cancer: A Mayo Clinic 5-year review. Journal of Oncology Practice.