Palliative care
Palliative care focuses on improving your quality of life and relieving symptoms when you are critically ill. This offers you an extra level of comfort whether you are battling a serious medical condition or terminally ill.
Palliative care services in St. Petersburg, Florida
Palliative care aims to relieve pain, stress and symptoms associated with serious illnesses.
HCA Florida Northside Hospital is proud to offer palliative care services to improve the well-being of the patients and families we serve. Working with our patients and their families, our palliative medicine team creates a personalized care plan to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Our palliative care services
We offer the following services to anyone facing chronic or advanced illness:
- Advanced care planning
- Assistance for independent living
- Day care for older adults
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Hospice care
- Identification of support services
- Pain management
- Palliative home health
- Physician services
- Services for those affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- Treatment for symptoms, such as fatigue, nausea, anxiety and depression
Our palliative care team
Our palliative care team includes board-certified physicians and licensed counselors. This team works together to help patients by coordinating care and treatment with their doctors and care team members.
We also have chaplain services available as requested.
About palliative care
Palliative care can benefit patients who are at any stage of a serious illness, and it can continue for several years. It's different from hospice care, which is available to patients who are approaching the last stages of life.
Benefits of palliative care
Palliative care can provide patients with many benefits, including:
- A better understanding of their health condition and medical choices
- Improved ability to carry on with their lives
- Improved tolerance of medical treatments
- Symptom management, such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping
Candidates for palliative care
Patients who have serious illnesses and need assistance with pain, symptom and/or stress management may benefit from palliative care. Many of our patients have health conditions that affect their quality of life or cause them significant discomfort. Other patients come to us when they require additional support or if they have questions about their treatment plans.
Palliative care is best introduced early — alongside curative treatment — to help during all stages of serious illness.
You may request a palliative care consultation from your attending physician at any time during your hospital stay.