Palliative care services

Conditions that can benefit from palliative care

Palliative care is a special type of medical care for people living with a serious illness. Palliative care helps provide relief from the symptoms of the illness, and can also significantly improve a patient’s quality of life. Palliative care can be given alongside curative treatment.

Palliative care is especially helpful for patients being treated for:

• Alzheimer's disease

• Cancer

• Heart conditions

• Liver failure

• Renal failure

• Spinal cord injuries

• Other chronic conditions

Comfort care to relieve symptoms

Care may include but is not limited to:

• Medication

• Relaxation techniques and integrative therapies, such as aromatherapy, yoga and massage therapy

• Emotional and spiritual support is also offered throughout our hospitals, such as Sharp Memorial Hospital and Sharp Grossmont Hospital

Our palliative care team is here for you

Palliative care can help lessen the stress on the patient’s family and other loved ones by serving as an extra layer of support.

Our expert palliative care team — including our medical director, nurse case manager, social worker and chaplain — works together with the patient, their family and doctor to address any physical, psychological, spiritual and practical needs you during the course of illness.

Our team will focus on managing the patient’s symptoms and stress with peace and dignity, while still receiving the life-prolonging treatments that may be needed.