When someone you love is living with a serious life-threatening illness, life can feel uncertain. There are medical decisions to make, symptoms to manage, and emotions that come in waves — fear, hope, fatigue, and love all at once. In these moments, you shouldn’t have to carry everything alone.
Palliative care isn’t about giving up; it’s about living as fully as possible, no matter the diagnosis. It’s specialized medical care focused on relieving pain, improving symptom management, and supporting the whole person — body, mind, spirit, and emotional needs. Whether care is provided at home, in a hospital, or in a care facility, the team walks beside families through every step of the journey, offering additional support and understanding.
What Makes Palliative Care Different
Unlike traditional medical treatment that focuses primarily on curing disease, palliative care focuses on comfort, quality of life, and dignity. It can begin at any stage of illness — even while patients are still receiving curative treatment and it extends support not only to patients but also to their families.
Many people are surprised to learn that palliative care isn’t limited to end-of-life care. It’s available from the moment someone receives a serious diagnosis such as heart failure, COPD, cancer, dementia, or kidney disease. Our palliative care team works in collaboration with your other doctors, helping to manage symptoms, guide treatment options, and ease anxiety so that every choice aligns with your loved one’s wishes.
This approach recognizes that illness doesn’t just affect the body but it touches every part of life. The palliative care team helps families regain a sense of balance and calm, even during challenging times, while also assisting with advance care planning to honor each person’s goals.
Meet the Heart of Palliative Care: The Team That Walks Beside You
Behind every moment of comfort, there’s a dedicated team working together with one purpose — to bring peace, connection, and care when it’s needed most.
Here’s how each team member of the palliative care team at Partners In Care supports you and your loved one.
1. Physicians and Nurse Practitioners: Experts in Comfort and Care
Palliative care physicians and nurse practitioners are specially trained to manage the physical symptoms of serious illness — from pain and shortness of breath to fatigue, nausea, or anxiety. But they do much more than adjust medications.
They listen. They explain what’s happening in simple, honest language. They help you understand treatment options and make choices that honor what matters most — always keeping your loved one’s specific needs at the center of care.
2. Nurses: The Daily Presence of Compassion
Nurses are often the steady heartbeat of the care team. They visit regularly to assess symptoms, administer medications, and provide comfort care. But just as importantly, they listen to concerns, explain care plans, and offer gentle reassurance.
For families, that human connection — someone who knows your loved one’s rhythms and truly cares — brings immense relief.
Nurses often say that their role isn’t only medical; it’s deeply personal. They see the person behind the illness and strive to make each interaction meaningful.
3. Social Workers: Support for the Emotional and Practical Journey
Serious illness affects more than health — it changes routines, finances, and relationships. That’s where social workers step in. They help families navigate the emotional and practical aspects of care, connecting them to community resources, counseling, and financial guidance.
They’re also trusted listeners. Families often say that having a social worker by their side helps them feel less alone — especially when they need to talk through decisions or process emotions that are hard to express elsewhere.
4. Chaplains and Counselors: Caring for the Spirit
For many, illness brings questions about meaning, purpose, and faith. Palliative care chaplains and counselors are here to meet those needs, offering spiritual care and emotional support to people of all backgrounds and beliefs.
You don’t have to identify with a particular religion to benefit. The focus is on what gives you comfort and connection — whether that’s prayer, meditation, reflection, or simply having someone listen without judgment.
These conversations often bring a sense of peace and perspective that helps families focus on what truly matters: love, presence, and gratitude.
5. Volunteers: The Gift of Time and Presence
Sometimes, the smallest gestures make the biggest difference — a warm smile, a cup of tea, or a few hours of companionship so a caregiver can rest.
Volunteers are specially trained to offer emotional support and companionship, visiting patients at home or in care facilities. They may read aloud, share stories, help with errands, or simply sit quietly when words aren’t needed.
Each volunteer brings their own unique warmth and empathy — a reminder that community care is at the heart of what palliative care truly means.
How the Palliative Care Team Works Together
What makes a strong palliative care program so impactful is how seamlessly the team collaborates. Every patient has a personalized care plan, created through open communication between doctors, nurses, social workers, and family members.
Regular updates ensure that everyone — including your loved one’s primary physician — stays informed. This coordinated approach prevents unnecessary hospital visits, reduces confusion, and gives families confidence that their loved one’s needs are being met with compassion and consistency.
It all begins with listening. Each care plan starts by understanding your family’s story — your routines, priorities, and hopes. From there, the team builds care around you, not the other way around.
As Dr. Jennifer Blechman, Partners In Care Palliative Care Medical Director, explains, “As palliative care providers, we sit down with you and whomever is important to you to learn what you care about most in life. This allows us to support you in aligning treatment goals with your illness to ensure you are getting the best care possible, based on who you are and what you most value.”
She added, “Meeting soon after your diagnosis of a serious illness allows us to understand you better, provide deeper support, and be sure your quality of life can be the best possible.”
The Benefits of Palliative Care
Families often describe palliative care as a turning point — the moment they stopped feeling overwhelmed and started feeling supported. Some of the most common benefits include:
- Relief from symptoms like pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath
- Emotional and caregiver support throughout the journey
- Better understanding of medical options and what to expect
- Improved communication between healthcare providers and families
- More time and energy for meaningful moments at home
Research shows that patients who receive palliative care often experience fewer hospitalizations, better quality of life, and a stronger sense of peace. But beyond the data, it’s the human connection that makes the difference — the feeling that someone truly understands what you’re going through and is there to help.
When to Consider Palliative Care
Many families wait longer than necessary to explore palliative care, often assuming it’s only for the final stages of illness. In reality, palliative care can begin at any time — from the day of diagnosis onward.
You might consider reaching out if your loved one:
- Experiences frequent hospital visits or emergency calls
- Struggles with pain, breathlessness, or fatigue
- Feels anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed by treatment decisions
- Needs help coordinating care between different specialists
- Could benefit from emotional and spiritual support
You don’t have to wait until symptoms become severe or a terminal illness progresses. Early involvement helps families plan ahead, communicate better, and find stability in uncertain times.
A Circle of Care That Feels Like Home
Across Central Oregon, families who’ve experienced palliative care often describe it as a lifeline — a bridge between medical care and emotional healing. It’s about having a circle of support that understands your journey, respects your choices, and honors your loved one’s story.
In homes filled with laughter and quiet moments, this circle of care continues every day. It’s the touch of a hand, the sound of a nurse’s calm voice, or the reassurance that someone is there when you need them most.
These are the moments that remind us what true care means — not just treating illness, but nurturing the heart of the human experience.
Finding Comfort and Guidance When You Need It Most
If you’re wondering whether palliative care could help someone you love, it’s never too early to ask questions or explore what support might look like. Sometimes, just having a conversation with a care professional can bring relief and clarity.
For families across Central Oregon, knowing that there’s a team ready to listen, guide, and walk the challenges of a life-limiting illness has made all the difference.
And for many of those families, that connection has come through Partners In Care — a trusted presence in this community for more than four decades, offering compassionate guidance rooted in comfort, dignity, and understanding.
Because when care is built on empathy, it doesn’t just heal — it honors life.
FAQs:
1. What does a palliative care team do?
A palliative care team helps people living with serious or life-limiting illness find comfort and peace. They manage pain and symptoms, provide emotional and spiritual care, and support both patients and caregivers throughout the journey.
2. How is palliative care different from hospice care?
Palliative care can begin at any stage of illness — even while you’re receiving curative treatment. Hospice care supports people in the final stages of a life-limiting illness when the focus shifts entirely to comfort and dignity.
3. Who is part of a palliative care team?
A typical palliative care team includes physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, social workers, chaplains, counselors, and trained volunteers. Each team member works together to address medical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
4. When should someone start palliative care?
You can begin palliative care as soon as you’re diagnosed with a serious illness. Early involvement helps with symptom relief, advance care planning, and emotional or caregiver support for families.
5. Does palliative care mean giving up treatment?
No. Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatment. Its goal is to improve comfort, manage symptoms, and help you live each day with quality and dignity — no matter where you are in your care journey.
6. What kind of support is available for caregivers?
Palliative care offers caregiver support through education, counseling, respite care, and emotional guidance. It ensures families have the help and understanding they need while caring for their loved ones.
7. Where can palliative care be provided?
Partners In Care provides palliative care consultations either in person or by telehealth. Our palliative care team is embedded in the oncology and cardiology clinics at Summit Medical Group, available in care facilities and may visit a patient’s home. The goal is to provide comfort and continuity of care wherever you feel most at peace.