Palliative Care
Making those with cancer comfortable at every stage.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care gives an extra layer of support, working to improve the quality of life for those going through cancer. Our team works with other providers to create a plan for the best care possible within your wishes.
Palliative care aims to manage symptoms and make people more comfortable. It also prevents and relieves suffering. It can be provided in any stage of cancer treatment, and it can be part of end-of-life care.
Legacy Health offers a complete team for palliative care.
What we do
We aim to improve your quality of life and reduce symptoms at every stage of your cancer journey. Our team can:
- Prescribe treatments or manage symptoms –– for pain, nausea, fatigue, weakness, breathing problems, sleep issues, constipation or weight loss
- Talk about and plan the treatment with the whole care team
- Make plans for future care and difficult health choices
- Find emotional and spiritual support through counseling or community resources
Palliative care vs. hospice care
Both hospice and palliative care give support and comfort to maintain your quality of life. However, palliative care is given to patients at any stage of a serious illness or injury. Hospice is for people near the end-of-life who are no longer receiving cure-related treatment. While you might receive palliative care while in hospice, the two are not the same.
Your palliative care team
Your palliative care team can consist of you and your loved ones along with:
- Palliative care doctor or nurse practitioner
- Your other doctors
- Nurses
- Social workers
- Pharmacists
- Chaplains
- Physical therapists
- Dietitians
How to receive palliative care
Anyone — patients, families or health care providers — can request palliative care services. For people in the hospital, the doctor in charge of your care can ask for palliative care.
For people not in the hospital, call Legacy Medical Group–Palliative Care at 503-413-6862 for more information.
