Palliative Care

When faced with serious illness or symptoms such as pain, nausea, or shortness of breath, patients and loved ones may need help in making care decisions. Working to relieve symptoms, pain and stress, Dr. Donna Coletti, MD, a Greenwich Hospital board-certified palliative care physician, helps families understand the pros and cons of various procedures, medications and letting nature take its course.

The palliative care approach benefits patients with a variety of illnesses, from cancer, respiratory and heart ailments, to dementia and other neurologic conditions.

Sickness is stressful, often painful. Dr. Coletti’s role is to explain treatment options, to help patients be comfortable with their decisions, and to share them openly with their families.

Along with hospice care, which focuses on end of life, the hospital’s palliative care program is designed to educate, empower, and comfort. Care is focused on the emotional, physical and spiritual support of the patient and family to improve quality of life.

Is palliative care right for you or a loved one? It might be if you are experiencing:
• Uncertainty regarding the prognosis and goals of care
• Difficult physical and emotional symptoms related to a serious medical illness
• Decline in physical health with multiple hospitalizations
• Prolonged hospitalization with poor prognosis
• Patient and family stress with unresolved psychological or spiritual issues
• Questions or concerns about a living will and advance directives

For more information or to request a consultation, call Greenwich Hospital’s general number, 203-863-3000, and ask the operator to page Dr. Coletti.

Listen to the podcast of Dr. Coletti's interview about palliative care on WGCH >>