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Palliative (Hospice) Care

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care focuses on providing relief from the pain, stress and other debilitating symptoms of terminal illnesses.

For more information about palliative care, visit our Health Library.

Treatment Facilities

Palliative care is provided at the following Catholic Health facilities:

Kenmore Mercy Hospital (Kenmore)

For more than a decade, Kenmore Mercy Hospital has been providing high quality, compassionate inpatient hospice care to patients throughout our community.

Thanks to the generosity of the Kenmore Mercy Foundation and the KMH Women’s Auxiliary, two new Hospice Suites have been opened at the hospital. Relocated to the 2 West Patient Care Unit, the newly remodeled suites feature a peaceful, home-like atmosphere and specially trained staff to help patients and their families facing the end of life’s journey.

The suites include:

• a comfortably furnished patient room with warm wood accents
• soft lighting
• wheelchair-accessible bathroom
• adjacent “family room” with sleeper chairs, flat screen TV, and kitchenette with a microwave and refrigerator

Mercy Hospital of Buffalo (Buffalo)

Mercy Hospital offers a specially designed Palliative Care Unit featuring four private rooms, a semi-private room and a spacious family room. Each room features a warm, home-like atmosphere with comfortable furnishings and amenities.

Working in partnership with the professionals of Hospice Buffalo, Inc., the unit's staff are specially trained to help patients and their families who are facing the end of life’s journey. The unit was recently remodeled and expanded in 2008 through the support of the Mercy Hospital Foundation, the Hospice Foundation, and generous donors.

Sisters of Charity Hospital, St. Joseph Campus (Cheektowaga)

The Palliative Care Consultation Service at St. Joseph Campus has cared for more than 1,500 patients. The program's goal is to enhance the quality of life – spiritually, emotionally and physically – for those with life-limiting, chronic or debilitating illnesses and their loved ones.

This team works closely together with patients, loved ones and physicians to ensure continuity of care and addresses symptom control issues, including pain. Individualized treatment plans that emphasize quality of life are developed that adapt to a patient's rapidly changing medical condition.

The palliative care consulting team also assists families and loved ones with questions on advanced directives such as healthcare proxy and resuscitation orders. In addition, bereavement services are offered.