The Palliative Support Program at Jewish Hospital

Palliative care provides specialized treatment of pain, discomfort and stress at any stage of an illness. Seriously ill and/or dying patients, whose symptoms are pain and nausea, can be hard to manage. Still, many patients and families want assistance with complex medical issues, such as whether to continue treatment of a disease or to focus more on comfort measures.

Only 60% of hospitals nationwide have Palliative programs, so Jewish Hospital is proud to offer this valuable service to our patients. The program offers patients and their families palliative care services that provide comfort and support. The goals of the program are to keep acutely ill or terminal patients as comfortable and pain-free as possible and to help them make the best possible medical decisions in the face of serious illness.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is a medical specialty devoted to caring for the seriously ill by:

• Providing relief from pain and other physical symptoms
• Improving quality of life
• Providing support to the seriously ill and the family and friends who love and care for them
• Assisting the patient and family with difficult medical decision-making

Multi-Disciplinary Team

A support team of physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplain work with the patient’s physician and caregivers.

Our Palliative Care team will:

• Help explain an illness
• Answer questions regarding code status
• Provide information to help with medical decision-making
• Clarify goals of care
• Offer symptom management for seriously ill patients, including pain management
• Preserve a patient’s dignity throughout their illness
• Address any spiritual needs, questions or concerns
• Provide information about appropriate community services for a return to a patient’s home
• Evaluate the appropriateness of a referral to Hospice

Arranging a Consult

A patient or a family can ask a physician for a consultation from the Palliative Support Team. The team will assist you and your family during your hospital stay. For more information, please call 502-587-4391 during regular business hours, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Family meetings will be arranged outside regular hours, as needed.