Contact Us Facebook

Palliative Care

Caring Support for Patients with Advanced or Life-Limiting Illnesses

When facing an advanced or life-limiting illness, having the right support can make every step feel more manageable. Illinois CancerCare’s Palliative Care team works alongside patients, families and caregivers to help ease symptoms, support emotional well-being and guide care decisions based on what matters most to you. Our goal is to provide comfort, clarity and compassionate support throughout your cancer experience.

How Do I Get a Palliative Care Consultation?

Ask your medical oncologist or advanced practice nurse if you may participate. At this time, the clinic is reserved for patients with advanced cancer (generally, Stage 4).

How is Palliative Care Different From Hospice?

Both Palliative Care and Hospice aim to improve symptoms and quality of life. Palliative Care is appropriate for all stages of illness, while Hospice is intended for patients nearing death and desiring no further treatment.

What Palliative Care Can Provide?

  • Patient-guided plan of care
  • Specialized treatment of pain and other symptoms
  • Honest and open communication with patient and family
  • Support for patients and caregivers during the entire cancer experience
  • Assistance with advance care planning
  • Information about community resources

Members of the Palliative Care Team

We will meet with you and your caregivers to gain an understanding of what is most important to you.

The Palliative Care Team includes:

  • Medical Office Assistant (MOA):
    greets patients and identifies troublesome symptoms
  • Advance Practice Nurse (APN):
    Manages distressing symptoms with a patient-guided plan of care. The care will include referrals to other specialists as needed. The APN will also discuss advance care planning
  • Pharmacist:
    Helps to review and optimize medications
  • Medical Director:
    Oversees the Palliative Care team and acts as a resource to the patient and Advance Practice Nurses
  • Registered Nurse (RN):
    Works with the APN and Medical Director to coordinate care

Available for Consult

  • Registered Dietitian (RD):
    Available for nutritional assessments and education/recommendations
  • Social Worker:
    Locates community resources as needed (financial, housing, transportation, etc.)
  • Licensed Counselor:
    Provides emotional support to patients and families with individual and group counseling

Understanding Palliative Care

Palliative Care FAQs

Still have questions?

We’re here to support you and your loved ones, and we’ll help you work through whatever is troubling you.

Contact Us

  • Pain and symptom control: Your palliative care team will identify your sources of pain and discomfort. These may include problems with breathing, fatigue, depression, insomnia, or bowel or bladder. Then the team will provide treatments that can offer relief. These might include medication, along with massage therapy or relaxation techniques.
  • Communication and coordination: Palliative care teams are extremely good communicators. They put great importance on communication between you, your family and your doctors in order to ensure that your needs are fully met. These include establishing goals for your care, help with decision-making and coordination of care.
  • Emotional support: Palliative care focuses on the entire person, not just the illness. The team members caring for you will address any social, psychological, emotional or spiritual needs you may have.
  • Family/caregiver support: Caregivers bear a great deal of stress too, so the palliative care team supports them as well. This focused attention helps ease some of the strain and can help you with your decision making.

You can expect to have more control over your care and a comfortable and supportive atmosphere that reduces anxiety and stress. Your plan of care is reviewed each visit by the palliative care team and discussed with you to make sure your needs and wishes are being met and that your treatments are in line with your goals. You can also expect relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Palliative care addresses the whole person. It helps you carry on with your daily life. It improves your ability to go through medical treatments. And it helps you better understand your condition and your choices for medical care. In short, you can expect the best possible quality of life.

Most insurance plans cover all or part of the palliative care treatment you receive, just as with other medical services. This is also true of Medicare and Medicaid. If costs concern you, a social worker or financial consultant from the palliative care team can help you with payment options.

The palliative care team provides an extra layer of support and works in partnership with your primary oncologist. Your primary oncologist will continue to direct your care and play an active role in your treatment.

Absolutely. Your treatment choices are up to you. You can get palliative care at the same time as chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

Everyone involved! Patients as well as family caregivers are the special focus of palliative care. Your doctors and nurses benefit too, because they know they are meeting your needs by providing care and treatment that reduces your suffering and improves your quality of life.

Our team is led by advance practice nurses, who work with our nurse, social worker, counselor, dietitian, and pharmacist. Our medical director, who supervises the clinic, is Dr. Bajaj.

Palliative care is for anyone with a serious illness. You can have it at any age and any stage of an illness, and you can have it along with cancer treatment.

Ask for it! Start by talking with your doctor or advance practice nurse.