Palliative Care

When you or a loved one is facing a life-threatening illness like cancer or heart failure, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There may be questions without clear answers, symptoms that are hard to manage or uncertainty about what lies ahead. At UMass Memorial Health, our palliative care (also known as palliative medicine) providers are here for you. We help patients and their families focus on quality of life, offering comfort, guidance and support.

Our team includes fellowship-trained palliative medicine doctors, advanced practice providers, care navigators and other health care professionals. These providers work with your primary medical care team to offer comprehensive services for your physical and mental health. Services are available at your bedside if you’re in the hospital or at our outpatient clinic. We care for hundreds of patients every year with honesty, sensitivity and deep respect for what matters most to each person. And we’d be honored to become part of your care team.

Conditions We Support

Palliative care services are for people with life-threatening conditions, such as: 

• Advanced lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease or cystic fibrosis
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Cancer (advanced stage)
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy
• End-stage liver disease, such as cirrhosis
• End-stage renal disease (ESRD), a type of kidney failure
• Heart failure (advanced stage)
• Movement and neurocognitive disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease or dementia
• Skin conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa that cause blistering with even mild friction

Our Palliative Medicine Services

Palliative medicine providers often bring together patients, loved ones and specialists to talk through what’s happening and what to expect. We collaborate with any UMass Memorial specialists involved in your care, sometimes offering real-time support as your diagnosis or treatment plan changes. We also follow up with family members to explain the plan and provide emotional support as decisions take shape.

Palliative care services we offer include: 

• Advance care planning helps you explore and document care preferences for future medical decisions.
• Care coordination involves collaborating with other specialists to ensure seamless care.
• Emotional support helps you process difficult emotions and cope with changes to your daily life.
• Guidance with complex medical decision-making helps you understand treatment options, risks and benefits.
• Pain and symptom management may include medications and referrals to acupuncture or mindfulness-based therapies.
• Treatment goal clarification and alignment guides conversations to ensure your care plan reflects your values.
• Music therapy uses guided activities, such as listening or playing instruments, with a mental health clinician to support comfort and self-expression.