Palliative Care

For patients who face a life-threatening illness, palliative care improves their quality of life and supports their loved ones, too. Palliative care focuses on the prevention and relief of symptoms by early identification, impeccable assessment and compassionate treatment of physical, mental and spiritual issues.

This palliative definition, from the World Health Organization (WHO) focuses on meeting the whole-health needs of patients and their families. And that’s exactly what we do at AdventHealth. You can count on us to be here for you, helping you understand your diagnosis, connecting you with resources and support, and ensuring you feel comfortable at every step of your treatment plan.

The Palliative Care Program teams at AdventHealth support many diagnoses, including:

• AIDS
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Kidney failure

Palliative care means we’re here to address every aspect of your health — physical, mental and spiritual — as you face your condition.

Palliative Care vs. Hospice
You may be assigned a Palliative Care Program team as soon as you receive a diagnosis of a serious, chronic disease. For many people, this may come as a surprise as hospice care is often confused with palliative care.

It’s important to remember the differences. Palliative care is designed to improve the quality of life and relieve symptoms, while hospice is focused on end-of-life care.

Your Palliative Care Program team will likely include many health professionals, including a:

• Chaplain
• Dietician
• Nurse
• Physician
• Physical or occupational therapist
• Psychiatrist or psychologist
• Social worker

Together, this team will work to address your whole health. Through a combination of pain management techniques, mental health care and spiritual support, we’ll ensure your treatment plan helps you feel like yourself again.

Your Palliative Care Program team will also offer important resources and support for your family to help you on your journey. Each care plan is tailored to your specific needs, but plans often include:

• Affirmation of life
• Bereavement care
• Education on disease and diagnosis
• Family support
• Home help with transportation, meals or shopping
• Pain relief
• Physical care
• Psychological care
• Respite care
• Spiritual care
• Treatment management

Palliative care and hospice are often confused but aren’t the same thing. Hospice care focuses on end-of-life care, offering dignity and comfort during a loved one’s final days. Palliative care, in contrast, focuses on helping you live every day to its fullest at any stage of your health journey, from the moment you’re first diagnosed to, when needed, the transition to hospice.

It can feel overwhelming to understand what services are covered by insurance, including Medicare. Some palliative care services may be covered by certain Medicare plans. The best place to start in understanding your coverage is to speak to the financial assistance office at your local hospital.

AdventHealth is committed to helping you understand the benefits of your insurance, including the palliative care benefits covered by Medicare.