Adult Palliative Care

Contact Adult Palliative Care services. We're here to help.

Learn about other types of support available to our patients and their families.

Palliative care is specialized medical care designed to improve your quality of life when you're managing a serious illness like cancer. It focuses on easing your symptoms and stress. You can receive palliative care at any stage of your illness and it may be offered alongside other treatments.

Improving Comfort and Quality of Life Throughout Every Stage of Cancer Care

Palliative care is available to support you throughout your entire treatment journey. In the early stages, it can help ease side effects and make treatment more manageable. At later stages, palliative care can focus on reducing discomfort, help you maintain daily activities, plan for future care, and provide emotional support as you live with the burdens of cancer.

Our Specialists

Our team of specialists works closely with you, your family, and your treatment team to provide personalized, integrated palliative care services from diagnosis through treatment. Depending on your needs, you may see a variety of practitioners, including:

Physician — a health care professional who has earned a medical degree, has undergone several years of training in a primary specialty (as well as palliative care), and is licensed to practice medicine
Nurse Practitioner — a nurse with a graduate-level degree of education and advanced training who is licensed to diagnose and treat palliative care conditions, prescribe medication, and provide patient-centered care
Nurse Navigator — a registered nurse trained to assess patients' needs, symptoms, and other concerns, and triage to the appropriate treatment and services
Pharmacist — a licensed health care professional who dispenses prescription drugs, monitors drug interactions, administers vaccines, and counsels patients on the effects and proper usage of drug and dietary supplements
Physician Assistant — a healthcare professional with advanced training who is qualified to diagnose and treat common palliative care concerns
Multifaith Chaplains — trained professionals who provide emotional support, spiritual counsel, and/or prayer to patients and families before, during, and after treatment
Clinical Social Worker — a mental health professional with an advanced degree who provides talk therapy and works with you on developing healthy coping techniques. At Dana-Farber, social workers also connect patients and caregivers with relevant resources and work closely with the medical team to address barriers to accessing cancer care

Services

Managing Pain and Other Symptoms

Pain, nausea, fatigue, breathing difficulties, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping can make it hard to enjoy life. We can suggest remedies which address these and other symptoms that are common with cancer and its treatment. If you're dealing with cancer-related pain, we can assist with managing prescriptions for controlled substances and help if you are struggling with substance use disorder.

Navigating the Healthcare System

The healthcare system is often confusing and overwhelming. We can help you find resources and figure out what you need.

Counseling for Emotional and Spiritual Support

A serious illness can be sad and frightening for both patients and their families. Talking can be helpful, as can medication. Palliative care can help your family members support one another and communicate about what is most important.

Guiding Difficult Treatment Choices

Sometimes, patients and families face difficult choices about future treatments: Does the benefit of treatment outweigh the burdens? What are the risks and burdens of different treatment options? We can help you and your family consider and discuss these concerns.

Coordinating Care at Home and in the Community

Some community resources may make it possible for you to receive care at home. We can help you find services that meet your goals, and coordinate plans for symptom management and psychological support using available community resources.

Preparing for End-of-life Care

Our goal is to help patients live as well as possible for as long as possible. If your illness progresses despite treatment, your care plan depends on what is most important to you and your family. You and your care team may consider prioritizing the option of spending more time at home than in the hospital or clinic. We can advise you on ways to manage your symptoms at home – enabling you to spend precious time with your loved ones. Our team is available to answer your questions, provide information about options when approaching the end of life and, when appropriate, offer referrals to hospice care providers.