What is palliative care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on relieving the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage, and you can have it along with curative treatment. The goal is to improve your quality of life.
How do I know if palliative care is right for me?
Palliative care may be right for you if you have a serious illness. Serious illnesses include but are not limited to: cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and many more. Palliative care is appropriate at any stage of a serious illness. You can also have this type of care at the same time as disease-directed treatment.
How does palliative care help me choose the best treatment option?
The palliative care team will spend time listening to you and your family. They will make sure you completely understand all of your treatment options and choices. By deeply exploring your personal goals, the palliative care team will help you match those goals to the treatment options that are right for you. They will also make sure that all of your doctors know and understand what you want. Palliative care helps you take control over your care.
Who provides palliative care?
At Penn Medicine, our specialist palliative care team includes physicians, advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants), social workers, pharmacists, and spiritual care providers (chaplains).
Will my insurance cover palliative care?
Like other medical care, most insurance plans (including Medicare and Medicaid), cover all or part of palliative care.
Where do I get palliative care?
At Penn Medicine, you can get palliative care services in any of our six hospitals, at several outpatient clinics, or at home.
Where can I go to learn more about palliative care?
For more information on palliative care in general, please visit Get Palliative Care, an independent website dedicated to providing clear, comprehensive palliative care information for people living with a serious illness.
Please note: Get Palliative Care is not affiliated with Penn Medicine.