Palliative care is care for patients and their families who are faced with life limiting illness. Palliative care can begin any time during an illness and can be combined with life prolonging treatments and treatments aimed at cure. The goal of palliative care is to prevent and relieve suffering and promote the best possible quality of life as determined by patients and their families.

Palliative care service

El Camino Hospital’s palliative care service is a multi-disciplinary team of care providers including physicians, pain specialists, nurses, social workers, spiritual care providers, and rehabilitation specialists. Direction of care is planned and quality of life enhanced by closely working with the patient and family and through the integration of physical, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of care.

Patient/family decision making and planning patient care by:

• Exploring patient goals and wishes
• Clarifying medication and treatments
• Promoting communications with the health care team
• Supporting the completion of an advance directive
• Discussing pain and symptom management and the meaning of comfort care
• Providing information and support regarding home care, skilled nursing, or hospice care

Physical symptoms that limit quality of life:

• Breathing difficulties
• Pain
• Nausea/vomiting
• Constipation/diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Insomnia

Psychosocial and spiritual symptoms that impact patients and their families:

• Anxiety and stress
• Depression and hopelessness
• Grief and isolation
• Bereavement

Initiating palliative care

A palliative care consultation is provided upon receipt of an order from an attending physician. The palliative care team makes recommendations to the attending physician and then follows the patient during their hospital stay. The primary responsibility of care remains with the patient’s physician.

The palliative care service collaborates with the Department of Anesthesiology’s pain management service for cases involving complex pain or requiring interventional strategies.

For more information about El Camino Hospital's palliative care service contact:

El Camino Hospital
Melchor Pavilion
2500 Grant Road
Mountain View, CA 94040

Phone: 650.988.7624
Monday - Friday | 9:00 to 5:00 pm.