Palliative Care
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness. It strives to provide relief from the symptoms and stress of serious illness. The goal is to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team who works together with your other health care providers to add an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in your illness and it can be provided along with treatment that is meant to cure you. Palliative Care helps you have more control over your care by improving your understanding of your choices for treatment.
The University Hospital Palliative care team will also spend time with you and your family in order to understand your goals and help you match those goals to your treatment options. The team will spend as much time as it takes as well as facilitating advance care planning (Living Wills / Health Care Proxy or POLST) as appropriate.
Our team works in conjunction with all other services in all areas of care, including Intensive Care, Emergency Department, Oncology and General Medical floors. Palliative Care is appropriate for people navigating physical issues such as heart failure, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer, dementia, strokes, or trauma. The Palliative Care team works with social workers, case managers, physical and occupational therapy, and chaplaincy to optimize your care, dignity, and comfort.
Our team includes advanced practice nurses, counselors and social workers all board certified in palliative care in their respective specialties. We can be reached at 973-972-0147 or walthesr@uhnj.org
University Hospital Palliative Care Team: Susanne Walther (APRN, ACHPN), Miriam Schulman (MSW, LCSW, ACHP-SW, APHSW-C), Susan Pyle Guiry (MSN, APN), Debra Mazza (MEd, LPC, GC-C)
To learn more about palliative care, visit:
www.theconversationproject.org
Palliative Care in Cancer – NCI
Palliative Care: What it Is & What’s Included (clevelandclinic.org)
