Palliative Care Services

UCLA Palliative Care services provide specialized medical care for patients who are seriously ill. We do this by offering expert symptom management, ensuring patients' wishes for their medical care are both known and honored, and helping patients and their caregivers cope with serious illness. Our team-based method fosters a comprehensive, whole-person approach to our patients' care.

Palliative care can help people at any stage of a serious illness and may take place alongside medical treatment to cure the patient's disease. Examples of serious illness include, but are not limited to, cancer, liver disease, emphysema, heart failure, kidney failure and dementia. All patients can ask their doctors or nurses for a consultation with Palliative Care.

Our Inpatient Clinical team includes a physician, nurse, social worker and chaplain. Based on your needs, you may be seen by one or several of these providers. We work in conjunction with other medical care to ensure that patients get the best possible treatment. If you would like to request an inpatient palliative care consult, please talk with your primary care team.

The Outpatient Palliative Care Service serves patients with serious illnesses other than cancer, such as heart failure, chronic lung disease, kidney disease, liver failure and neurologic disease. Our team includes a physician, nurse, social worker and chaplain.  Based on your needs, one or several of these clinicians may see you. The Palliative Care Clinic team will partner closely with your other medical providers to help you feel more comfortable and supported.