Riddle Hospital
1068 West Baltimore Pike, Media, Pennsylvania 19063
Palliative Care
Palliative care services provide patients with relief from the pain and stress that living with a serious illness can bring. Our goal is to bring comfort and reassurance to you, your loved ones and caregivers.
Palliative care at Main Line Health
Palliative care at Main Line Health is a service offered to patients in need in the surrounding community. At your doctor’s request, the palliative care team recommends pain and symptom management. We work to personalize your care and accommodate your needs to the best of our ability. Apart from care provided in the hospital, we can also make visits to your home as well as to independent living facilities.
Our team helps you and your family understand your illness — what you can expect and what management choices you can make — providing a palliative care experience that is both comfortable and convenient.
We ensure the highest level of expertise when working with you and your other providers as we develop an individualized care plan for you.
We also offer advance care planning to help define your goals and wishes as they relate to health care. This important process can provide vital information to physicians, caregivers and loved ones if you are unable to communicate on your own behalf.
Palliative care is appropriate for patients at any age and stage of a serious or chronic illness, including:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- COPD
- Stroke
- Renal disease
- Liver disease
- Alzheimer's disease
Find a provider and schedule your next appointment online.
Home care options
A team of certified nurse practitioners and other palliative specialists work with your Main Line Health providers to bring home care services to you and your loved ones.Medicare, Medicaid and most insurance companies cover palliative care services, which would be seen as specialist coverage.
Your palliative home care services team can help:
- Provide relief from pain and other symptoms like shortness of breath, nausea, anxiety and more
- Coordinate care with your other health care providers
- Offer you and your loved ones emotional and spiritual support
- Manage your illness at home and avoid unnecessary trips to the hospital
- Assist you with decisions regarding your care through advance care planning
- Serve as a resource for support programs in your community
Who is eligible for palliative care?
Contrary to popular belief, palliative care is not restricted to those with a terminal diagnosis. Many people can receive the helpful benefits of this care service, including patients:
- With severe cancer-related pain or other symptoms that cause discomfort
- With complex or chronic medical problems (including heart disease, dementia, Parkinson's disease, kidney failure, cancer, etc.)
- Who frequently use the emergency department or are often re-admitted to the hospital
- In an intensive care unit who need assistance evaluating next steps and goals of care
The service is also of tremendous value to families who need:
- Assistance communicating with the health care team
- Guidance with decisions concerning advanced treatment options
- Support with end-of-life decisions
What services are offered through palliative care?
Our priority is aiding you and your loved ones. Palliative care can help patients and family members understand the complexity of a serious illness, including:
- Coping with new family issues that illness can bring
- Setting lifestyle goals if new physical limitations arise
- Finding support for the family and caregivers
- Evaluating options as an illness progresses
Can I have home-based palliative care providers while receiving other services?
Yes. You can continue working with all your health care providers, and we will collaborate with them. You may also receive rehabilitation services, home care, or physical, occupational and/or speech therapy while receiving home-based palliative care.
Our Locations
Bryn Mawr Hospital
130 South Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010
Lankenau Medical Center
100 East Lancaster Avenue, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096
Support the palliative care program
As a non-profit organization, Main Line Health depends on charitable support to help us provide the highest quality health care for the people in our community. Should you wish to make a tax-deductible contribution in support of palliative care, please visit our ways to give page, choose the hospital you would like to support and then select “palliative care” in the designation section.
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