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Palliative Care

Palliative Care services offered in Roseville and Sacramento, CA

Palliative Care

If you have an advanced illness and desire an improved quality of life, turn to Pulmonary Medicine Associates in Roseville and Sacramento, California. Its exceptional medical specialists provide superior palliative care to adults. To learn more about the palliative care services available at Pulmonary Medicine Associates, call the office to speak with a team member.

Palliative Care Q & A

What is palliative care?

Palliative care at Pulmonary Medicine Associates provides symptom relief, pain support, and holistic care for patients struggling with severe illnesses. The goal of palliative care is to maximize your or a family member’s quality of life, making you as comfortable as possible and increasing the chance of recovering from your condition. 

What are the advantages of palliative care?

The benefits of choosing palliative care at Pulmonary Medicine Associates include:

  • Enhanced comfort
  • Reduced pain
  • Fewer symptoms and side effects
  • Maximum comfort 
  • Longer life expectancy
  • Less depression and anxiety 
  • Improved quality of life
  • Optimal patient satisfaction 
  • Reduced risk of complications

Anyone with a severe or life-threatening illness may benefit from palliative care. 

Who benefits from palliative care?

Palliative care is beneficial for patients struggling with one or more of the following:

  • Dementia
  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Bone marrow disorders
  • Blood disorders
  • Kidney failure
  • Lung disease
  • End-stage liver disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Stroke

Palliative care can reduce the following symptoms associated with severe medical problems or their treatments, such as the following:

  • Anxiety
  • Nervousness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Pain
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Loss of appetite
  • Depression
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Fatigue

Your palliative care specialist often works with a team of medical professionals to develop an effective treatment plan that minimizes discomfort or other bothersome concerns, improves psychological conditions, or caters to your spiritual needs. 

What should I expect during palliative care?

During palliative care, you may work with an array of specialists, including nurses, social workers, doctors, chaplains, counselors, dietitians, psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, or pharmacists. You might receive treatment on an outpatient basis, through a hospice program, in a hospital, or in a nursing home. 

Haritheertham Nagaraj, MD, at Pulmonary Medicine Associates, is a board-certified palliative care medicine specialist. He is the Medical Director at Vitas Hospice in Sacramento, and practices palliative care at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Citrus Heights. He offers the expertise needed to help you or a family member.

Hospice is available for patients during the final months of life when life-prolonging treatments are discontinued. However, you don’t have to be a hospice patient to receive palliative care.

Your palliative care plan may include:

  • Support
  • Advice
  • Symptom management
  • Meditation
  • Medications 
  • Breathing techniques
  • Healing treatments
  • Stress-reduction strategies
  • Advanced care planning
  • Referrals

A palliative care provider might speak with you about your goals and wishes for care. They can help you develop an advanced directive, health care power of attorney, or a living will.

Providers Offering Palliative Care Services