National Hospice and Palliative Care Month
November, 2022

This National Hospice and Palliative Care Month, Calvary – with Hospice and Palliative Care programs nationwide – is raising awareness about hospice and palliative care, the highest quality care for people coping with life-limiting illnesses.

“Every year, nearly 1.4 million people living with a life-limiting illness receive care from hospices in this country… These highly trained professionals ensure that patients and families find dignity, respect, and love during life’s most difficult journey,” said Edo Banach, president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

At Calvary, our core values are compassion, caring, commitment, dignity, and non-abandonment.

Our mission is to provide love and comfort to all in our care; our patients and their loved ones.
Our team is proud of our work and honored by the trust our patients and their families put in us.

Calvary is the only fully accredited acute care specialty hospital in the United States that exclusively provides palliative care for adult patients with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

Our expertise places us at the crossroads of advanced medicine, innovative palliative care, non-denominational pastoral ministry, and state-of-the-art hospice care. We have always been an organization with a unique mission. Our mission and guiding principles have led us to develop a system and philosophy of care that works to ensure that the end-of-life experience for every one in our care is characterized by love, comfort, compassion, and dignity.

Hospice and Palliative Care Make a Difference

There are many ways hospice and palliative programs help people:

Hospice and palliative care professionals work to remedy symptoms, including pain and shortness of breath, to maintain quality of life.
Emotional and spiritual support is also a key component of hospice and palliative care. It gives patients and their loved ones the caring support they need to maintain the parts of their life that are most meaningful to them personally.

What Is Hospice and Palliative Care?

Hospice and palliative care have both existed for decades. Although both types of care can be provided at the same time to patients, it's essential to understand that each are two distinct care modalities.

Hospice is comfort care that does not include curative treatment or intent. A patient may choose Hospice care when curative options have been executed or once an individual has chosen not to pursue curative treatments for any number of reasons.

Palliative care is a form of comfort care that may be given to patients receiving a broad range of treatment types with or without curative intent.

Understanding Palliative Care

Palliative care (pronounced PAL-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care focused on relieving the symptoms and stress of a serious illness.

Palliative care brings comfort and support to patients with serious illnesses.

A palliative care team is made up of a specialized group of healthcare professionals focused on relieving the patient of pain and associated symptoms, including stress and other factors impeding one's quality of life.

Palliative care can be given while other treatments are being applied.

What Does Palliative Care Include?

Symptom Relief
Palliative care providers specialize in comfort and relief from pain and other symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping.

Communication and Coordination
Palliative care practitioners also specialize in communication, by listening to patients and their families and making sure their medical questions are answered and that they understand the full breadth of their treatment options.

Awareness is Key

At Calvary, we know the individuals and families who have planned for their end-of-life care needs, have taken time to express their wishes, and have given themselves and their families a wonderful gift. When it comes time to start a palliative program or enter hospice it is best to have a plan laid out so your family and care team can act at your directive.

End-of-Life Care, Requires Planning and Understanding

Calvary Hospital encourages you to start a dialog with your family, friends and medical team about your future healthcare preferences.

It is important that you, your loved ones and your doctors have regular discussions about Advanced Care Directives. As we age, our views and personal opinions change, along with our quality of life ideals and our hopes and expectations for our personal medical care.
By completing your Advanced Care Directives, you, your family and your medical team will know exactly what you want your care to look like, when and how.

Learn about:

Related Resources

2022 Hospice & Palliative Care News & Milestones:

New York State Passes Law to Raise Hospice, Palliative Care Awareness

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a bill designed to expand awareness of advance care planning, hospice, and palliative care. Dr. Christopher Comfort, Calvary COO, provides his expertise as to why this campaign is not only essential but critical in identifying palliative care as a core component in healthcare.

More Medical Schools Investing in Palliative Care Education

Palliative care education programs are gaining speed regionally, leading some to hope for a “domino effect” that would spur further growth.

Without widespread change, demand for palliative care in the United States is projected to outstrip the supply of clinicians trained to provide it during the next decade. A key barrier to building that workforce is that most clinicians receive little to no exposure to those types of care during their training. Read full article here.

NHPCO-Led Coalition Welcomes Introduction of GRIEF ACT in Congress

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and its affiliate group, the Hospice Action Network (HAN) applaud today’s introduction of the Grief Resilience Investment and Education Fund (GRIEF) Act in the House of Representatives by Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25). Read full article here.

National Hospice and Palliative Care Month November, 2022