What is palliative care?
Palliative care is specialized care that focuses on providing relief from the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness. Palliative care teams also provide emotional, psychological and spiritual support to patients and their families as they plan for the future. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and can be provided along with curative treatment.
Our palliative care team will work collaboratively with you and your clinical care team to develop a pain and symptom management plan that meets your unique needs and preferences. Our goal is to promote the best possible quality of life for you and your loved ones.
How do I access services?
Ask your primary care physician or other health care provider for a palliative care referral or contact us directly at 207-301-8301.
Palliative care may be right for you if:
- You are living with a serious illness that is causing you pain, stress, or other uncomfortable symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia
- You would like to better understand and receive guidance about your illness and treatment options
- You would like to tailor your medical care to be in alignment with your values, goals and wishes
- You would like assistance in planning for future care needs
- Management of pain and other symptoms
- Assistance in helping you determine what is important to you and what your goals are
- Helping you plan for future care needs
- Helping you understand your illness, the disease process, and possible complications that may arise
- Assisting with advance care directives such as Medical Power of Attorney and POLST (Physician’s Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments)
- Providing you with community resources for
- additional supportive services for home setting
- emotional and spiritual support and counseling
- grief and bereavement support and counseling
- integrative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, Reiki
- Assistance with transitioning to end of life care if or when appropriate
Palliative care services can become involved at any stage of a serious illness. Hospice care is for patients who are nearing the end of their life.
