Palliative Care

Coney Island Hospital Palliative Care Consultation Service provides a multidisciplinary team-based approach to relieving pain and other distressing symptoms of seriously ill, chronic patients, and dying patients.

To meet the complex needs of the individual and family, the palliative consulting team includes the patient’s physician, a doctor who specializes in palliative care, dedicated nurses in palliative care, social workers, chaplains and volunteers. We consider the patient and family part of this team, and we provide family support and bereavement services, while affirming life and treating dying as a normal process.

Who are Palliative Care Patients?

• Patients with an unacceptable level of pain or other symptoms of
  distress for more than 24 hours
• Patient/Family needs help with complex decision-making and
  determination of goals of care
• Unresolved psychosocial or spiritual issues
• Frequent visits to the Emergency Department, i.e., more than one
 time per month for the same diagnosis
• Prolonged stay in the ICU and/or transferred from ICU setting
 without evidence of progress
• In an ICU setting with documented poor prognosis

Therapeutic Options of the PC Patient/Family:

• Treatment of pain and symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, depression
 and anxiety
• Counseling/guidance about care options in the face of serious illness
• Assistance with changing goals of care
• Assistance in developing a discharge palliative care plan
• Assistance with transition to hospice
• Integrates the psychosocial and spiritual aspects of care
• Helps individuals live as fully as possible until death
• Helps families cope during the illness and bereavement period
• Caregivers and Bereavement Support Groups offered at Coney
 Island Hospital.
 
How does palliative care fit in with other services?
The palliative care team maintains close communication with the attending physician, and family ensuring agreement on treatment methods and goals of care.

How are Palliative Care Services arranged?
Palliative Care services are requested by a physician’s consult. A patient, staff, or family member may ask the physician to place a consult.

Palliative Care
• Location: At Bedside Of Patient
• Hours: Open 24/7
• Telephone: (718) 616-4567

Bereavement Group meets every Tuesday at 2:00PM - Hammet Building - 4th Floor

Anyone in need of Caregivers Support may contact the Palliative Care Service at (718) 616 - 5663