Palliative Care FAQ
Improving Quality of Life for Patients with Serious Illnesses
Palliative care focuses on understanding what is important for patients to maximize their quality of life while living with a serious illness.
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is a medical specialty designed to provide individualized, whole person care for patients with serious and end-stage illnesses. Our palliative care specialists work closely with a patient’s existing care team to help manage symptoms such as pain, nausea, breathlessness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and weakness. They also focus on learning what is most important to patients to ensure that treatment plans align with personal goals and values.
What types of care and services are included?
In-depth symptom management (for pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, fatigue, appetite loss, etc.)
Help aligning life goals and personal values with medical care so patients can focus their time and energy on what matters most to them
Advance care planning (help with legal documents to make medical preferences clear to family and health care providers)
How is palliative care different from hospice care?
Palliative care is also called supportive care and symptom management. It is similar to hospice care in that it focuses on relief of suffering and symptom management. However, palliative care is available at any time during a serious illness and can be delivered concurrently with curative therapy.
Who can benefit?
Palliative care can benefit patients with a wide range of serious diseases. Diagnoses include, but are not limited to:
- Dementia
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular Disease (CHF, CAD, Cardiomyopathy)
- Liver Disease
- Renal Disease
- AIDS
- Neuromuscular Diseases (ALS, MS)
- Pulmonary Disease (COPD, Cystic Fibrosis)
- Stroke/CVA
How can I access Alive Palliative Care services?
Alive’s Palliative Care services are currently available exclusively through our partnership with TriStar Health. Patients receiving in-hospital care from our partner can request a consultation through their current care team.
How do palliative care visits work?
The Alive Palliative Care team is a separate specialist consultation. However, the team works closely with a patient’s existing providers to coordinate care.
How does insurance coverage and billing for palliative services work?
A palliative care visit is a separate specialist visit and is billed separately. Alive can coordinate with the insurance provider ahead of time to determine any co-pays or fees. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions.
For more information on Alive Palliative Care, please call 615-679-4500.