Palliative Care Delivered With Compassion

Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to care for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on providing these patients with relief from pain and physical and mental stress. Palliative care is not hospice — but a way to support patients and their families.

“It’s really important to differentiate between palliative care and hospice care,” says Christian Hospital palliative care nurse practitioner Tracee Raife, DNP, MBA, APRN, ANP-BC. “Palliative care can be provided at any time during a person’s illness, even at the time of diagnosis, and it can be given at the same time as curative treatment.”

What you should know about palliative care:

• Medical specialty focused on relief of the pain, stress and other debilitating symptoms of life-limiting illness.
• Can be provided along with therapy aimed at controlling or curing the disease.
• Goal is to relieve suffering and provide the best possible quality of life for patients and their families.
• Palliative care is focused on intensive symptom management, communication and coordination of care.

Working in partnership with the patient’s primary care physician or other specialists, the palliative care team is comprised of health care experts that include a palliative care nurse practitioner, registered nurse, social worker and chaplain, with additional resources such as a pharmacist, nutritionist and therapist in order to provide:

• Expert treatment of pain and other symptoms
• Close, clear communication
• Help navigating the health care system
• Guidance with difficult and complex treatment
• Detailed practical information and assistance
• Emotional and spiritual support for the patient and family

For more information, call the Christian Hospital palliative care office at 314.653.5737 or visit https://www.christianhospital.org/Medical-Services/Palliative-Care.

Palliative Care team photo:
Tracee S. Raife, DNP, MBA, APRN, ANP-BC
Joyclyn Wyms, RN, MSN, OCN
Aharon Sykes, LMSW
Chaplain William Johnson III, MDiv, MTS, DMin, BCC