About Palliative Care
- Comfort and quality of life are important aspects of palliative care. Our team provides specialized care by:
- Maintaining independence and comfort.
- Treating symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, shortness of breath and insomnia.
- Assisting with decision making, setting goals and organizing advance planning needs.
- Providing guidance for hospital discharge plans.
A Compassionate and Experienced Team
Palliative care services at Sentara consist of an interdisciplinary team with expertise in disease treatment and symptom management.
- Physicians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Social Workers
- Chaplains
- Pharmacists
- Dietitians
This team works closely with a patient’s physician to coordinate the best possible care by taking time to:
- Understand patients’ personal goals, family dynamics and cultural and religious values.
- Facilitate communication between patients and their physicians
- Work closely with patients and families – attending to their emotional, spiritual and practical needs.
- Connect patients with beneficial hospital and community resources.
- Ensure continuity of care between clinical settings.