Palliative Care
Wellstar Palliative Care supports patients as they experience life-threatening, chronic or advanced illnesses, helping create a greater quality of life. Our focus is addressing each patient's physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual health with compassion.
An Experience of Compassion
At Wellstar, our mission with palliative care is to honor human beings with compassion, adding to each individual’s quality of life as we provide personalized comfort.
Our palliative care professionals have created the most comprehensive program in Georgia to support these patients who deserve empathy at any stage of an illness or serious health challenge.
Wellstar’s board-certified doctors, nurse practitioners and social workers expertly address our patients’ specific individual needs. Our services are provided in the setting that serves you best, whether inpatient, outpatient or at home.
Customized Care, Tailored to Your Needs
Palliative care, inpatient hospice and in-home hospice care all provide comfort, though there are differences in these treatment types. Anyone at any age and any disease stage can turn to palliative care along with curative treatment.
It is a common belief that this kind of care is only helpful at the end of life. Unfortunately, this leads to palliative care reaching only a small fraction of those who could benefit from it throughout a severe illness. Palliative care complements and is available simultaneously with all other appropriate treatments during any illness stage, from the time of diagnosis to its final stages.
After the diagnosis of a serious, life-limiting illness, palliative care can be given alongside standard medical care to improve the patient's experience and outlook. The goals of palliative care include symptom management, education about the disease and advanced care planning. Most importantly, the palliative care team member helps the patient prioritize and create the kind of care they would prefer according to the patient's wishes. Hospice care, alongside continued palliative care, is recommended when a patient has six months left to live. Palliative care also provides bereavement support for families.
Inpatient Palliative Care
Inpatient palliative care is available at Wellstar Cobb, Wellstar Douglas, Wellstar Kennestone, Wellstar North Fulton, Wellstar Paulding, Wellstar Windy Hill hospitals and Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center.Outpatient Palliative Care
The Wellstar Palliative Medicine Clinic is housed within the Comprehensive Care Clinic and sees patients from many different experiences and backgrounds.At-Home Palliative Care
Wellstar offers comprehensive Palliative Care services for patients living in their own homes, at a relative's house or skilled nursing or assisted living facility. Team members provide medical support in managing distressing symptoms and education for patients to improve quality of life for patients and families.
Wellstar’s Approach
Wellstar Palliative Medicine is developing new approaches to treatment that focus on continuity of care, comfort, dignity and communication, including:
- Respect for your treatment choices and where you want to receive your care
- Expert treatment of pain as related to a life-limiting illness and other symptoms
- The ability to have honest and transparent discussions about all treatment options available
- Resources and support to enable you to control and manage your health care
- Coordination of care with all health care providers helps create a smooth transition
- Emotional support for you and your family
Explore Palliative Care
The Palliative Care team can work with patients in the setting that's right for them, whether in the hospital, in our dedicated outpatient clinic, or in their own home.
If you're interested in obtaining palliative care for yourself or a loved one in the Metro Atlanta area, we would be honored to assist you. Please ask your or your loved one's physician for a referral to a palliative care specialist.