Palliative Care

Palliative Care offers specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses, and is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work together with patients and their families for an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment.

Our multidisciplinary team will:

• Provide relief from pain and other distressing symptoms.
• Integrate the psychological and spiritual aspects of patient care, with patient and family centered support.
• Work to understand values and preferences as this relates to your plan of care.
• Offer a support system to help patients live as actively as possible.
• Use a team approach to address the needs of patients and their families, including bereavement counseling, if needed.
• Enhance quality of life and strive to positively influence the course of illness, in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
• Affirm life and view dying as a normal process, intending neither to hasten or postpone death.
• Work with Hospice Services to coordinate care that is supportive and patient centered.

The Palliative and Supportive Care Service team is life and compassion centered. They work closely with patients, their family members and their clinical team to actively manage symptoms such as pain, nausea, depression, shortness of breath and other symptoms associated with advanced, chronic, and terminal illness.

The patient, a family member, caregiver, or healthcare professional can request an evaluation by calling the palliative care consultation office at 978-683-4000, ext. 2110. The admitting physician/primary doctor is then notified of the request.

For more information, contact Maureen Couture, MSW, LICSW, ACHP-SW, Palliative and Supportive Care Service, at 978 683-4000, ext. 2110, or by e-mail at Maureen.Couture@lawrencegeneral.org.