About Palliative Care

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is specialized medical care designed to improve the quality of life for people in different stages of serious illness (cancer, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, among others). From active treatment to recovery to comfort care, the goal of palliative care is to provide relief from physical symptoms and pain, and offer psychological and spiritual support for the fear, anxiety and depression that often accompany a serious illness.

Annually, Summa Health provides palliative care consulting to nearly 4,000 patients across all sites of care. Our team works closely with the patient’s family and caregivers, who face tremendous challenges caring for loved ones while trying to balance work and everyday life. 

This approach to palliative care allows us to effectively address the emotional, social and spiritual issues many patients and families face, and to provide them with the highest quality of life possible before, during and after treatment.

When is Palliative Care Appropriate?

Palliative care is appropriate for people of all ages, and at any stage in an illness, whether the illness is curable, chronic or life-threatening. It can be offered in an inpatient setting, outpatient setting, or in a person’s home or nursing home. The care is individualized for each patient’s unique situation and needs.

The Summa Health Palliative Care team includes:

• physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants
• nurses
• pharmacists
• social workers
• dietitians
• spiritual care professionals
• volunteers

While the patient receives all medically prescribed treatments, our team focuses on coordinating a person’s care and easing the suffering associated with symptoms like pain, nausea, fatigue, breathlessness, depression and anxiety. 

We also work closely with caregivers, answering their questions, helping identify community support resources and providing psychosocial support.

How is Palliative Care Different from Hospice Care?

Sometimes people confuse the terms palliative care and hospice care because they both provide comfort. The main difference between the two is that palliative care can begin at any time – from diagnosis through treatment and beyond, especially for those with chronic conditions. Hospice care doesn’t begin until after treatment of the disease has stopped and the patient is no longer seeking curative therapies. It is usually offered when a person is estimated to live less than six months.

Under hospice care, patients have their symptoms managed with the support of an interdisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, nurses, aides, chaplains, psychologists and volunteers. Patients who enroll in hospice have made the decision to maximize their quality of life and acknowledge that their life is limited. Hospice teams work with patients and families to provide dignity at the end of life. Care is provided for patients in whatever location they call home. Hospice teams visit patients in their own homes, in nursing homes, and in acute hospice units when symptoms determine this is necessary.