Palliative care can be provided at the same time as other medical treatments and any time during a serious illness. It can help you live more comfortably by treating symptoms.

Palliative care may be especially helpful if you:

• have a serious, life-threatening illness such as heart failure, advanced lung disease, cancer, AIDS, liver or kidney problems, neurological disease or dementia.
• have pain, nausea, fatigue, breathlessness, depression, and anxiety or other distressing symptoms.
• are seriously ill and facing questions about the future.
• have difficult medical decisions to make and want help thinking them through.

Note: Palliative care is not to be confused with hospice. Hospice is care provided to people who have decided not to seek curative treatment for an illness, and whose life expectancy is thought to be about six months or less.

Our services include:

• relief of pain and other symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, breathlessness, depression, and anxiety.
• assisting patients in making difficult medical decisions.
• helping patients to be comfortable and as active as possible.
• access to complementary treatments, such as guided imagery and self hypnosis training.
• assisting patients in using spiritual resources to cope with illness.
• assisting patients with family issues such as:
• • difficult communications
  • coping with the stress of serious illness in the family

Palliative Consult Service
The Palliative Consult Service is available to you while you are a patient at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. Physician specialists, clinical nurse specialist, social worker and chaplain meet with you, your family and doctor to assess your needs—developing a plan that respects your values and personal choices. Interaction with the team keeps your plan updated daily. Your regular doctor will continue to be in charge of your care.

Palliative Care Clinic
The Palliative Care Clinic at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview provides clinical services for those who are not hospitalized. We offer outpatient access to palliative care specialists in a clinic setting. Patients receive help with managing pain and other symptoms, care planning for future health care needs, assistance finding community resources, counseling, and grief and bereavement support.