The Phelps Health inpatient palliative care team supports patients admitted to the hospital and their families dealing with serious illnesses.
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized care that goes beyond your medical treatment to offer relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness. It addresses physical symptoms, emotional well-being and practical needs to improve quality of life for patients and families. Palliative care is not limited by a specific diagnosis—any serious health situation may qualify.
Palliative care aims to:
- Identify what matters most to you and align your treatment plan accordingly
- Manage symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath or fatigue to improve your quality of life
- Support your loved ones in understanding your illness and navigating care decisions
- Coordinate with your entire healthcare team to ensure everyone is working toward the same goals
How Palliative Care Helps
Research shows that palliative care makes a meaningful difference for patients and families. It can improve your quality of life, make you feel more comfortable, and help you avoid additional hospital stays. The palliative care team works alongside your medical team, often getting involved early in your care and remaining with you through every stage of illness.
Your palliative care team will:
- Coordinate your care: advocate for you with your healthcare team, adjust your care plan as needs change and support smooth transitions between care settings
- Guide decision-making: explain treatment options, discuss benefits and risks and help you make informed choices that fit your goals
- Support planning: assist with advance care planning and prepare you for what to expect during treatment
- Reduce stress: manage symptoms, ease the emotional impact of illness and provide spiritual or religious support if desired
- Strengthen communication: coordinate family meetings, encourage open discussions and ensure everyone understands the care plan
- Connect you to resources: link you with helpful programs, services and community support
The Palliative Care Team
At Phelps Health, your inpatient palliative care team includes a physician or provider trained in palliative care, nurses, social workers, chaplains and other specialists as needed. Together, they work to manage symptoms, coordinate treatments, and support you and your family.
We place special emphasis on emotional and practical support. Our social workers help with emotional and daily challenges and our chaplains provide spiritual support if desired. The goal is to ensure you and your loved ones have guidance, comfort and resources available during serious illness.
