Patients & families

Palliative care during
your hospital stay.

Help with difficult symptoms and decisions, alongside your hospital treatment.

How we can help

Pelikan Health works with your treating team at Detroit Receiving Hospital, Harper University Hospital and Sinai-Grace Hospital.

Ask your nurse or hospital team whether a palliative care consultation could help.

Asking about a consultation

Help with symptoms

Pain, shortness of breath, nausea and other symptoms.

Time for your questions

Clear explanations and time to talk about what concerns you.

Support with choices

Help weighing treatment options in light of what matters to you.

Your consultation

We review your medical care, listen to your concerns and recommend ways to help. Our recommendations are shared with your hospital team.

Before we talk, consider which symptoms trouble you most, what questions you have, what matters to you, and whom you would like involved.

Common questions

Does palliative care mean my treatment will stop?

No. Palliative care can be provided alongside treatment for your illness.

Can my family or someone close to me be involved?

Yes. Tell us whom you would like included in conversations about your care.

What if I am not ready to discuss something?

Let us know what you want to discuss now and what you would prefer to return to later.

How is palliative care different from hospice?

Palliative care can accompany treatment at any stage of serious illness. Hospice focuses on comfort and support near the end of life. A palliative consultation does not necessarily mean hospice is being recommended.

Talk with your hospital team

You can ask: “Could a palliative care consultation help with my symptoms or the decisions we’re facing?”

Your attending or consulting physician, or their advanced practice provider, arranges the consultation.

Hospitals we serve

Further reading: NIH: What is palliative care?