Pain relief and symptom management for patients with advanced heart failure

Expert Heart & Vascular Care

Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our heart or vascular specialists.

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Palliative care focuses on relieving the pain and other symptoms that can come with serious or life-threatening conditions, including advanced heart failure. Our Advanced Heart Failure Program was one of the first to fully integrate palliative care into treating patients with this condition. We support patients and their loved ones as we help them determine goals for care, ease pain and stress, and improve the quality of their lives.

Our palliative care team includes specialists from a range of fields, such as:

  • Chaplains
  • Doctors
  • Nurses
  • Pharmacists
  • Social workers

Palliative care often is confused with hospice care, but hospice care is available only at the end of life. Palliative care is available at any stage of a serious illness and can benefit you as your healthcare team works to treat the cause of the illness and save or prolong your life.

What to expect from palliative care

Patients with advanced heart failure often receive palliative care from the beginning of the treatment process. Your palliative care team will help you and your loved ones develop a customized plan for pain management, reducing stress and managing other concerns.

We’ll discuss and help you address how your condition is affecting you and your family. We coordinate our care with the care you’ll receive from your treatment team, which will continue to work to address the root causes of your condition and symptoms.

Palliative care is an ongoing process, and we’ll be by your side throughout the treatment process. We can provide referrals to community resources, and we will support you as you make important decisions about your care.

Palliative Care for Heart Patients

Our palliative care teams partner with MedStar Heart & Vascular clinic to support patients and their families, help determine goals for care, and find ways to manage symptoms and implement comfort measures.

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