BHS Palliative Care

Paliative care is specialized care that focuses on improving quality of life and providing comfort and compassion to people of all ages with sercious, chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is a team approach to care and focuses on providing patients and their family with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of serious illnesses - whatever the diagnosis.  It is care that meets the special needs of each person.

Palliative care treats the whole person, including physical, spiritual and emotional needs.  This care is provided by a core team of specially-trained doctors, nurses and social workers.  Massage therapists, nutritionists and chaplains may also be part of the team who work together with a patient's other doctors to provide an extra layer of support.  They create a program based on challenges the patient is struggling with rather than on the patient's prognosis, such as physical symptoms, anxiety about taking care of children while ill, or stress or depression a family caregiver is experiencing.  It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment.