Palliative Care

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people of any age and at any stage in a serious illness. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a curable, chronic, or life-threatening illness. Our goal is to improve your quality of life.

Patient and Family-centered Care

Palliative care is for people of any age, and at any stage in illness, whether that illness is curable, chronic, or life threatening. Palliative Care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness for both the patient, caregiver and family. Palliative Care is often provided alongside treatment.

The Palliative Care team includes physicians, nurses, social workers and chaplains who identify goals of care and align a person’s treatments with what is important to them. Palliative Care can help people living with illnesses such as:

  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Dementia
  • End-stage liver disease
  • Kidney failure
  • Lung disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Stroke

The St. Elizabeth Palliative Care team will discuss symptoms, current treatments, and the affect a serious illness may be having on you and your loved ones.  A Care Plan will be created to prevent and ease suffering and improve your daily life. This plan will be carried out in coordination with your primary care physician and will be in addition to any other treatment that you may be receiving.

What is Palliative Care?

While an illness may disrupt, our Palliative Care team will provide a stronger layer of support. Visit our FAQ page, to read more Frequently Asked Questions about Palliative Care.

Types of Palliative Care Visits

Our Palliative Care visits can be done in a variety of settings, in order to best meet the needs of our patients and families. We see patients in an outpatient clinic, hospital-setting. Follow-up visits can be done virtually and in the community, based on your unique needs. Click the links below to learn more about our services.

What if I or a loved one is not ready for Palliative Care?

The truth is that Palliative Care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness. This is because a serious illness can also occur at any time and at any age.

Research indicates that Palliative Care, when offered alongside treatments, can in some cases prolong a patient’s life and provide a better quality of life. Palliative Care seeks to help a person live well for as long as possible by caring for the whole person. This means that our Palliative Care team will address more than just physical needs. Palliative Care provides emotional, spiritual and practical support for both the patient, caregiver and family.

The ways that a person and their loved ones experience and adapt to the diagnosis of a serious illness are unique to their values and life experiences. The Palliative Care team at St. Elizabeth Healthcare approach each person as a unique individual and seeks to relieve suffering through:

  • Pain management.
  • Inpatient care for acute, or uncontrolled symptoms.
  • Physical and Occupational Therapy.
  • Integrative therapies, such as acupressure, massage, music and pet therapies.
  • Social Work support including assistance with Advanced Care Planning.
  • Nutritional support provided by a dietician.
  • Chaplain services.


The difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care

Palliative Care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the caregivers or family. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness. Palliative Care can be provided along with curative treatment.

Hospice provides an added layer of support if an illness progresses towards end of life care. Hospice is only appropriate in end stages of a disease.

Learn More

Contact Us

If you would like more information about St. Elizabeth Palliative Care or to make a referral, please call (859) 301-2237 and select option 4.

Location:
St. Elizabeth Cancer Center
1 Medical Village Dr.
Edgewood, KY 41017

Clinic Hours & Insurance

Clinic hours are by appointment only. Most services provided at the clinic are covered by Medicare and by health insurance plans that cover palliative care.