Supportive Care Medicine - Palliative Care

When Supportive Care Medicine is consulted to assist, you will remain under the care of your own doctors. The program's interdisciplinary team of providers works with your healthcare team to help manage your pain and any other symptoms. Team members also can assist with communication needs and advance healthcare planning to make sure that you are getting the care that fits your personal goals and values.

If you or your loved ones need additional support as a result of a serious illness, Supportive Care Medicine might be able to help. Examples of conditions that the program can help with include:

Supportive Care Medicine team members are experts at managing your pain and other symptoms related to your serious illness. Examples of other symptoms they can assist with include nausea, fatigue, poor appetite, difficulty sleeping and feeling sad or worried. The team will work closely with your primary care doctor and your other specialists to help you address any healthcare issues that are caused by your illness or the treatments you are receiving.

The team can make sure you are making the right choices for your care by bringing everyone together to talk about your condition, giving you a chance to ask questions and decide what is best for you.

Speaking with the team's licensed clinical social workers and chaplains about your spiritual, social or emotional concerns can improve your mood and relieve stress throughout your treatment. They can also assist with connecting you to community-based support resources that fit your needs.

Your care providers and family members should know your goals, preferences and choices about your healthcare. Supportive Care Medicine team members have expertise in advance care planning. Working with you and your loved ones, team members will take the time to listen, answer questions and guide you toward completing your own advance directive.
As an additional resource to you, Cedars-Sinai offers a free advance care planning class each month that provides an introduction to the topic. Discussion topics may include: how to designate someone to speak for you if you are unable to make your own healthcare decisions, how to discuss priorities and wishes with your family, and how to figure out what is most important to you in the event your health worsens.