Palliative care, also known as palliative medicine, is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. It is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness.
Palliative care programs provide:
- Pain and symptom management
- Detailed communication with patients and families to support their decisions about treatments and care
- Evaluation of and support for non-medical needs such as emotional, social and spiritual needs
The Eskenazi Health Palliative Care program strives to improve quality of life for both patients and families. Three specially trained team members focus on providing relief from symptoms, pain and stress as patients face the physical and psychological challenges associated with their illness.
Eskenazi Health’s innovative hospital-based palliative care program is provided by a diverse team of caregivers who work with patients' other health care providers to establish care goals, coordinate care, and manage pain and symptoms. Whatever the diagnosis, patients receive services to fulfill their unique needs, with a holistic, comprehensive and compassionate approach to care.
The most commonly treated patients in the Palliative Care program include:
- People with pain or other unrelieved symptoms related to cancer or cancer-related treatment
- Individuals with AIDS, ALS, COPD or heart failure
- Elderly people with advanced dementia or other life-threatening illnesses
- Patients with nutritional problems caused by a progressive disease
- Patients and families with psychological or spiritual distress related to a life-threatening disease
People who experience the following symptoms are good candidates for the Palliative Care program:
- Uncontrolled pain
- Uncertainty about prognosis
- Nausea
- Anxiety
- Weakness
- Delirium
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Recurrent admissions
- Concerns about how the disease is affecting them and their loved ones socially, financially and spiritually
Created in 1999, Eskenazi Health’s Palliative Care program has been widely recognized for its innovative programs and outstanding service, receiving such accolades as the National Association of Public Hospitals’ Jim Wright Vulnerable Populations Award, the American Hospital Association’s Circle of Life Award and the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Health Care Heroes Award. To support Palliative Care, please visit www.eskenazihealthfoundation.org/donate.
To report a concern about patient safety or quality of care, please contact the Eskenazi Health Office of Patient Experience at 317.880.8333.