Palliative Care Services

Many of us plan for the big events in life—starting a new job, a new baby, going off to school, getting married, buying a home, retiring. What we don’t think about as often, however, is living with a serious condition that requires long-term medical care.

Palliative care focuses on helping people and their caregivers who are dealing with a chronic or serious illness achieve the best possible quality of life. We’re here to improve your comfort and enhance your well-being by providing the medical and emotional support you need to relieve symptoms and feel your best.

Our Approach to Palliative Care

Palliative care is helpful at any stage of an illness, from diagnosis through treatment. It is provided alongside your regular treatment and focuses on the relief of your symptoms. It is based on your needs, not on your prognosis.

Our palliative care specialists provide care when and where it’s needed the most—whether it’s in one of our hospitals, a skilled nursing facility, or in the comfort of your own home.

Our team includes doctors, advanced practice nurses, social workers, and dietitians who collaborate with your Virtua physician and care team.

Together, we provide an added layer of support for you and those who care about you.

We help you understand your treatment options, express and document your goals of care, and support your decisions. We focus on helping you feel better and stronger, providing you peace of mind and improving your quality of life.

Palliative care services are covered by most insurance plans. 

Our Palliative Care Services

The goal of palliative care is to improve your quality of life to help you, and those who care about you, live your best life every day. Along with your doctor’s plan of care, your palliative care team supports your personal goals of care through:

• Pain management
• Treatments to relieve symptoms such as pain, depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, constipation, incontinence, and mobility and balance issues
• Medication management
• Care coordination and scheduling to connect you with other helpful services
• Nutritional counseling to help regain your appetite and make easy, healthy choices
• Emotional and spiritual support
• Guidance with complex treatment choices
• Helpful expression of your personal goals of care, treatment, and quality of life 

Conditions We Treat

Palliative care provides an extra layer of support at any stage. You can benefit from palliative care from the moment of diagnosis through treatment and recovery. You don’t have to wait until the disease has reached an advanced stage.

Palliative care may help you and your family live with a wide range of conditions, including:

• Cancer, including the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
• Cardiac disease, such as heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
• HIV/AIDS
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

The palliative care team works with your Virtua physician and care team. You can continue seeking treatment for any chronic condition while benefiting from the comfort of palliative care.