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    Palliative Care Program

    Mills-Peninsula’s Palliative Care Program helps patients and their families deal with difficult issues resulting from serious chronic illnesses and preparation for the end of life. The goal is to improve quality of life with better management of pain and other symptoms.

    What is Palliative Care?

    The mission of palliative care at Mills-Peninsula Health Services is to provide interdisciplinary, culturally sensitive and compassionate care that is focused on the relief of suffering and the improvement of quality of life for patients and their family.

    Currently the Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) function as the primary consultant in providing care within their specialty throughout the trajectory of a patient’s illness. They complete an early needs assessment with a focus to assist patients and families in decision making to meet the patient’s goals and preferences. Working as part of the interdisciplinary team, the APN provides patient and staff education and assists with symptom management and other components of care.

    The Advanced Practices Nurses (APNs) at Mills-Peninsula Health Services have received palliative and end of life training through The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). The APNs as educators in palliative and end-of-life care are offering monthly classes for staff using ELNEC content with the primary goal of improving care for patients facing life threatening illnesses.

    A Staff Nurse Lead Council focuses on developing and disseminating resources for staff.

    Weekly Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Rounds provide a forum for physicians and staff from all disciplines to discuss, explore and reflect upon important components of care.

    Mills-Peninsula Health Services has the No One Dies Alone (NODA) Program for the palliative care patients who are at the end of their life. The program provides volunteer companionship to patients who do not have friends or family present and are acutely dying.

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    Bereavement Resources

    Peninsula Area

    • Daughters-Support for Grieving the loss of a Mother: (650)323-1535
    • Grief Support of Children and Adults (Palo Alto) Drop in Support Group: (650) 321-5272
    • HAND: Help After Neonatal Death: (650) 692-6655
    • Magnolia Senior Center: For parents who have lost children at any age: (650) 829-3820
    • Mary Moray, individual counseling: (650) 654-3346
    • Mid-Peninsula Pathways Hospice: (888) 755-7855
    • Mills-Peninsula Loss, Grief and Recovery: (800) 654-9966
    • Mission Hospice: (650) 554-1000
    • Oak Tree Bereavement Center (Pacifica): (415) 806-7169
    • Our Lady of Angels, Burlingame On-going bereavement support groups: (650) 344-3579
    • Stan Friedman, Ph.D., individual counseling: (650) 342-5900
    • Sutter Care at Home (800) 698-1273
    • Young Survivors Group (under 55): (650) 323-1535
    San Francisco
    • Bay Area Jewish Healing Center: (415) 750-4197
    • Catholic Charities/ Grief Care: (415) 564-7882
    • Family Caregiver Alliance: (415) 434-3388
    • Hospice By the Bay: (415) 387-9782
    • Laguna Honda Hospice: (415) 759-3375
    • Pastoral Care Department Institute for Health and Healing: (415) 600-3939
    • SAND-Support after Neonatal death: (415) 282-7330
    • Visiting Nurses and Hospice of San Francisco: (415) 750-4404 ext. 21746

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