Palliative Care

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Are you or someone you love living with a serious illness?

If you’re coping with the diagnosis of a serious condition like cancer, advanced heart, lung or neurological disease or heart disease, it’s easy to quickly feel overwhelmed by the adjustments you need to make to manage your illness and your treatment schedule. The physical and emotional symptoms from the disease, the side effects of the treatments, and the overall stress can be hard to handle. Palliative care may be the extra layer of support you and your family need. This special medical care can help you live more comfortably.

Cleveland Clinic palliative care providers are there to offer comfort and support all along the way — from the beginning of your treatment plan through recovery. We’re dedicated to helping you manage physical, emotional, social and spiritual challenges at any stage.

Why Choose Cleveland Clinic for Palliative Care

Skilled, collaborative providers:

Our palliative care team includes palliative care doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers and registered nurses. Each of these providers is specially trained to help with the range of physical, emotional and social challenges you and your family might face when you’re coping with a serious health issue, such as cancer, congestive heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Parkinson’s disease or kidney failure.

Collaborative care:

Seeing lots of providers might seem like a big effort, and it can be confusing. Not to worry. Our palliative care team can provide an extra layer of support. And they’ll make sure your specific needs, goals and priorities are all part of your care plan. Meet our team.

Patient-centered care:

We understand that coping with a serious illness can be challenging, overwhelming and complicated. We offer many resources to support you, your family and loved ones throughout your treatment and recovery. If needed, our palliative care team can connect you with other Cleveland Clinic providers, including art and music therapists and spiritual care.

Demonstrated expertise:

Founded in 1987, our palliative care program was one of the first specialty palliative care programs in the country.

Trusted experts:

Cleveland Clinic is a leader in palliative care innovation, research and education. Besides caring for patients, we train and educate other providers, including doctors, nurses, students, case managers and chaplains. Our physician fellowship training program has educated thousands of providers over the last 30+ years. It’s our goal to make sure every patient and family at Cleveland Clinic receives a palliative touch, even if they don’t work directly with our palliative care team.

Specialized knowledge:

Our pediatric palliative care team provides compassionate, family-centered care to children of all ages (even prenatally) who are facing complex, chronic (lifelong) or potentially life-threatening conditions, while supporting and educating their caregivers and families.

Virtual visits:

Sometimes you might not be up to an in-person visit with your provider. That’s why we also offer virtual visits. This convenient alternative lets you meet with your provider form the comfort of home. All you need is a smartphone, tablet or computer.

National recognition:

Cleveland Clinic is a trusted healthcare leader. We're recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for our expertise and care.

Palliative Care at Cleveland Clinic

Improving your quality of life and helping you manage your symptoms and stress — that’s the primary goal of your palliative care team at Cleveland Clinic. You may be wondering if palliative care is the same as hospice care, but know that these two services are different.

Palliative care is there to partner with you throughout your entire journey with a serious condition, providing an extra layer of support no matter your age or stage of illness. Your palliative care team helps you with whatever matters most to you at every point along the way. And they’ll work closely with your medical team to make sure your voice is heard, and that your care plan considers your specific needs, priorities and goals.

The Advantages of Palliative Care

Coping with a chronic or serious health condition isn’t easy. Symptoms and treatments often bring many unwelcome side effects — both physical and emotional. Maybe you just can’t get rid of the pain or you’re always tired. Maybe your stomach keeps doing flips, making you feel nauseated all day. Maybe you can’t sleep. Our palliative care providers are here to help you find relief and make your day-to-day more comfortable. They can also help with the anxiety or depression that so often go hand in hand with a serious illness.

Providers Who Offer Palliative Care

Locations

Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio and Florida.

What to Expect at a Palliative Care Consultation

You can receive palliative care at many of our Cleveland Clinic hospitals, medical offices or at home. You can also visit with your provider virtually with your smartphone, tablet or computer. The first time you meet with our palliative care team, they’ll ask about your symptoms, how your condition is affecting your life, your goals and your preferences for your care plan. They’ll want to know what’s most important to you — physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Your palliative care team can also help you understand your condition and treatment better. And they’ll take the time to answer any questions or talk about any concerns or worries you might have. Palliative care isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Your palliative care team will work with all your healthcare providers to tailor a care plan that meets your unique needs.

Palliative medicine at home (PMH)

Depending on your care needs, Cleveland Clinic may offer “at home” palliative care visits for some patients who have trouble getting to office appointments. No matter where “home” is — your house or an independent, rehabilitation or extended care facility — you can talk with our palliative care team to see if an “at home” visit is possible. Our team includes physicians, advanced practice practitioners (APPs), RN care coordinators (RNCC), social workers and chaplains. This team works closely with your primary care provider and any consulting providers and medical teams to help you live with an advanced illness. Our services include:

Helping you manage your symptoms
Talking with you about your care goals and preferences
Going over advanced care planning, including talking about advance directives and code status
Teaching you about your condition and what the future looks like
Support for grief, psychosocial and spiritual distress
Teaching you about hospice transition, if needed

Taking the Next Step

At Cleveland Clinic, exceptional healthcare is a partnership that starts with diagnosis and continues throughout your journey with us. Palliative care is a valuable piece of that partnership. Our compassionate and experienced team provides an extra layer of support to help you and your family manage the burdens of a serious illness and live your best possible life.

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Survivorship

Learning you have cancer can be stressful, shocking and challenging. From the moment you get the news, you're a survivor. As you face the challenges that go along with cancer treatment and recovery — physical and emotional — we’ll be right there with you.

At Cleveland Clinic, survivorship care is one part of your journey. We offer a wide range of services, resources, clinics and support groups to help with any physical, emotional, financial and spiritual needs you might have related to your cancer diagnosis. Lending a helping hand along the way, we want you to not only survive, but thrive on this journey and beyond.

Learn More About Survivorship