For Patients & Families

What I wish I had time to tell you

Palliative care is extra support for anyone living with a serious illness, at any stage, alongside whatever treatment you’re receiving, including surgery. These are the explanations I most often wish I had more time to give at the bedside.

Dr. Heather Logghe smiling outdoors in a burgundy knit cardigan, holding a floral mug

Cream teapot and cups painted with burgundy blossoms on a wooden table

Palliative care Palliative care and hospice are not the same thing What each one is, who it’s for, and why asking about palliative care doesn’t mean anyone is giving up.

Hospice What hospice actually looks like Where it happens, who comes, what’s covered, and the one thing families are most often surprised by.

A sprig of small white flowers in sharp focus, with yellow blooms and a calm, softly rippled lake blurred behind it.

Getting palliative care

If you or someone you love is living with a serious illness and facing surgery, you can ask for palliative care at any point: before an operation, in the hospital, or during recovery. It doesn’t replace your surgical team. It adds support for symptoms, for hard decisions, and for what matters most to you.

You can ask your surgeon or care team directly: “Could a palliative care team help us?”
To find palliative care where you live, see GetPalliativeCare.org.
More for patients and families on this site: For Patients & Families and Patient Voices.
For grief resources and ways to preserve a loved one’s stories, see Grief, Memory & Connection.

This is general information to help you ask good questions. It isn’t medical advice for your situation; please talk with your care team.

“You don’t have to choose between treating your illness and feeling better. Palliative care is how we do both.”

— Heather Logghe, MD