Supportive Care
When you or a loved one are faced with an illness or injury, lives change. Suddenly, emotional, spiritual, physical, and financial demands take over, often with little or no preparation. How can anyone anticipate the future when they don’t fully understand the problem at hand?
The Palliative Care Services at Billings Clinic can help you put a plan in place.
Who Can Receive Palliative Care?
Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. It is focused on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness—whatever the diagnosis. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Palliative Care Team
Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work together with a patient's other doctors to provide 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.
Palliative care services are available to help whenever there is a need. We take the well-being of the whole person into consideration. Because every person’s situation is unique, the care offered is tailored to fit the individual’s needs. This can include counseling for the patient and for the loved ones supporting them.
Our team utilizes a variety of resources including:
- emotional
- financial guidance
- physical
- spiritual
We understand how patients and their families who are facing illness or injury often feel alone and overwhelmed. Our goal is to listen, lessen the burdens, and strengthen the whole person in the midst of those changes.
Palliative Care Consultation
Patients are welcome to include loved ones and supportive friends in a palliative care consultation. Because the consultation is completely driven by the patient, each conference is unique.
As the patient’s personal experience is revealed, the team uses its collaborative approach to:
- focus on easing suffering
- offering treatment options
- providing symptom relief
A consultation creates a safe environment for opening doors of communication and tearing down barriers that may emerge during a life changing event.
