Palliative Care
How Can I Get Palliative Care?
Please ask your doctor or nurse for a referral. To learn more contact our Palliative Care office at 805-569-8393.
The Palliative Care Team is a group of physicians and nurses who have expertise in working with people with serious illness and their families. They work with a patient’s other caregivers to provide an extra layer of support.
Palliative Care
- Helps people with serious illness.
- Helps families of people with serious illness.
- Helps with treatment of pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.
- Is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specialists
- Helps patients and families get a clear understanding of their health situation
- Spends extra time with patients and families to understand their goals for treatment.
- Is provided along with and in addition to all of the other treatments aimed at getting a person well.
There is no cost for Palliative Care at Cottage Health. An exception to this is any associated physician/nurse practitioner service billed to your insurance company.
About Palliative Care
Is Palliative Care the Same as Hospice Care?
No. Palliative care is appropriate for any stage of serious illness. It is not hospice care, though palliative care services can help with transitions between care settings, whether that is home care or hospice care.
What is the Goal of Palliative Care?
Palliative care is focused on relieving pain, symptoms and stress of a serious illness.
When Should Palliative Care Begin?
Anyone facing serious illness or injury can benefit from palliative care. However, early, proactive palliative care upon diagnosis of a serious illness has shown to be most effective in improving quality of life.
Are Palliative Care Providers Specially Trained?
Yes. Palliative care is a recognized medical specialty. While all Cottage caregivers are educated on the principles of palliative care, the physicians who serve as medical directors of the Palliative Care Consultation Service at Cottage are all board certified in palliative care. Nurses are also certified in hospice and palliative care nursing.
How Can I Get Palliative Care?
Please ask your doctor or nurse for a referral. To learn more contact our Palliative Care office at 805-569-8393
The Cancer Program at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital provides a broad scope of services, from cancer prevention outreach to cancer detection, treatment, and palliative care.
The program receives guidance and leadership from the Cancer Committee, which ensures that Cottage Health is meeting the standards outlined by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. These standards address education, treatment, clinical research, data collection, performance, and quality improvement criteria.
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital was reaccredited in 2013 for a three-year term, with five commendations, by the Commission on Cancer as a comprehensive community cancer program.
