Palliative Care, Petersburg

Medi Home Health and Hospice, a division of Medical Services of America, offers palliative care which is not the same as hospice care.  Palliative care is offered at any stage of any illness, while hospice care is appropriate for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less, as defined by Medicare.

A specialized team works with physicians to help relieve physical symptoms, provide emotional support and spiritual care to those coping with chronic illness.  Members of the specialized team may include a palliative care physician, nurse practitioner, medical social worker and chaplain.  A core tenet of palliative care is to help patients and their families determine goals of care as a disease progresses and to help navigate the complex health system.