Palliative Care

Welcome to Palliative Care at Jamaica Hospital

When you or a loved one suffers from a serious, life limiting illness, it can be difficult to understand all of the available treatment options and plan your next steps. At Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, our palliative care service is devoted to helping our patients and their families navigate these hard times. Our interdisciplinary palliative care team is trained to provide a variety of medical, emotional, and social support services. We are passionate about working closely with you to make sure that your treatment plan reflects your individual beliefs and what matters to you most. If you are interested in finding out how palliative care can help you, please look through our website and contact us for more information.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is a branch of medicine that focuses on easing the pain and discomfort of illness in order to improve a person’s quality of life. Often times, individuals who seek out palliative care are battling long-term or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, cancer, chronic kidney disease (CKD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), or a host of other conditions. At Jamaica Hospital, our palliative care physicians are trained to help patients soothe the uncomfortable symptoms and side effects of their illnesses. These symptoms may include pain, depression, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety. Our goal is to ensure that palliative care measures improve your quality of life and equip you with the strength to handle each new day.

Our Palliative Care Team

Palliative Care Physicians

Our palliative care physicians are dedicated to identifying your needs and easing the pain associated with your illness. Their role in your care includes assessing your pain and symptoms to provide appropriate recommendations and follow-up; making recommendations for treatment options and discharge based on your preferences, goals of care, and prognosis; communicating with your family about your illness, goals of care, and advanced directives; and providing palliative care education to the nursing and medical staff who care for you.

Palliative Care Nursing Staff

Our palliative care nurses are devoted to all aspects of your care, and compassion is the driving force of their work. They are an invaluable part of our team, as they are on the frontline making you comfortable, providing emotional support for you and your family members, and assuring your family members that all of your needs are being met.

Clinical Social Workers

Our clinical social workers provide you and your family with psychosocial support to help you and your family navigate difficult decisions regarding to your health care; facilitate communication with family members regarding your wishes; conduct follow-up if you are discharged home, transferred to a rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing home, or inpatient hospice setting; provide information and referral to community resources; and make bereavement calls or visits.

Chaplain

We recognize that healing occurs in the realms of mind, body, and spirit. Our chaplaincy services are available to you to care for any spiritual concerns you express. Our chaplain helps you navigate the challenges you may face by inspiring hope, providing comfort, and helping you find strength to continue your journey.