Palliative Care

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. Unlike hospice, you don’t need to stop curative treatment to receive palliative care. This supportive approach can begin at diagnosis and continue alongside treatments aimed at curing or controlling your condition.

Our team at Grace and Glory Hospice provides expert palliative care throughout San Mateo County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and San Joaquin County.

What Is Palliative Care?

When you or someone you love faces a serious illness, the medical terminology and treatment decisions can feel overwhelming. You may be managing difficult symptoms while trying to maintain quality of life. This is where palliative care becomes essential.

Palliative care is an extra layer of support provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists. The goal is simple: improve your quality of life by addressing physical symptoms, emotional concerns, and practical challenges that come with serious illness.

Key aspects of palliative care:

  • Symptom management for pain, nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, and other difficult symptoms
  • Emotional support for you and your family as you navigate treatment decisions
  • Care coordination to help you communicate with all your doctors and understand your options
  • Practical guidance about medical decisions, advance directives, and what to expect
  • Support at any stage of illness, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery

You can receive palliative care at any age and at any stage of a serious illness. It works alongside your current treatments and can be provided in your home, hospital, skilled nursing facility, or outpatient clinic.

Palliative Care supporting senior in Alameda County

What Our Palliative Care Services Include

Our palliative care program is designed around your specific needs. Every person’s illness experience is different, so we tailor our approach to address what matters most to you and your family.

Our services include:

Comprehensive symptom management

Our nursing team works with your doctors to relieve pain, nausea, fatigue, and other challenging symptoms through medication adjustments and complementary approaches.

Coordination with your medical team

We work alongside your current doctors and specialists, ensuring everyone stays informed and your care remains consistent across all providers.

Support for difficult decisions

We help you understand treatment options, clarify your goals, and make informed choices that align with your values – without pressure or judgment.

Family education and guidance

We teach your loved ones practical caregiving skills, explain what to expect, and provide emotional support throughout your illness journey.

24/7 availability

Our team is available around the clock to answer questions, adjust care plans, and provide guidance whenever you need us.

Connection to community resources

We connect you with local organizations that provide transportation, meals, financial assistance, and spiritual support beyond medical care.

Who Benefits from Palliative Care?

Palliative care serves anyone living with a serious illness who needs additional support managing symptoms and making treatment decisions. You don’t need to be near the end of life to benefit.

Conditions commonly supported by palliative care:
  • Cancer of any type or stage
  • Heart disease, including congestive heart failure
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Kidney disease
  • Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease and related disorders
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Stroke and its after-effects
  • ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
  • Advanced liver disease
  • HIV/AIDS
You may benefit from palliative care if you’re experiencing:
  • Pain that’s difficult to control
  • Shortness of breath or breathing difficulties
  • Severe fatigue that limits your daily activities
  • Nausea or loss of appetite
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Depression or anxiety related to your illness
  • Confusion about treatment options
  • Stress about how your illness affects your family

The earlier you connect with palliative care, the more we can help. Research shows that people who receive palliative care alongside their treatments often have better quality of life and may even live longer.

Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care: Understanding the Difference

Many people confuse palliative care with hospice care, but they serve different needs at different times.

Palliative care:
  • Can begin at diagnosis, regardless of prognosis
  • Provided alongside curative treatment
  • No requirement to stop treatments aimed at curing your illness
  • Focused on symptom relief and quality of life throughout your illness
  • Available at any age or stage of serious illness
Hospice care:
  • Typically begins when curative treatment is no longer effective or desired
  • Focused on comfort when a terminal diagnosis carries a prognosis of six months or less
  • Curative treatments are stopped
  • Comprehensive end-of-life support for patient and family
  • Medicare and most insurance plans cover hospice care fully

Think of palliative care as a support system you can access early and maintain throughout your illness journey. If your condition progresses to a terminal stage and you choose to focus solely on comfort, you may transition to hospice care. At Grace and Glory Hospice, we provide both services and can guide you through any transitions in care.

Coverage and Cost

Most insurance plans cover palliative care services, though coverage varies by plan and provider. Medicare typically covers palliative care when provided by your doctor or during a hospital stay.

We offer free evaluations to assess your needs and determine what services would benefit you most. During this evaluation, we also review your insurance coverage and explain what costs you can expect.

You shouldn’t avoid needed support because you’re worried about cost. Contact us, and we’ll help you understand your options and coverage.

How to Get Started with Palliative Care

Starting palliative care is straightforward, and you don’t need a referral from your doctor (though many physicians recommend our services to their patients).

Three simple steps:

1. Contact us for a free evaluation

Call (650) 898-5784 to schedule a conversation about your needs. We can meet with you at home, in the hospital, or wherever is most convenient.

2. Discuss your concerns and goals

During our evaluation, we’ll ask about your symptoms, current treatments, and what you hope palliative care can help you achieve. This is your time to ask questions and understand what we offer.

3. Begin personalized support

If palliative care is right for you, we’ll create a care plan tailored to your specific situation and start services when you’re ready.

What Patients Are Saying About Us

Camille C.
5 months ago
Grace and Glory Hospice is a wonderful, family-owned hospice company. One of the owners, Jane, is a nurse who has spent many years working in senior care. Her deep understanding of what families experience during such emotional times shines through in everything she does. For example, Jane often answers the phone herself. She takes the time to listen, reassure, and guide families personally. That kind of individual care and accessibility is rare in this field!

The Grace and Glory team reflects that same spirit of compassion and excellence. Tekia’s warm presence makes families feel deeply supported and held, even in the most difficult moments. She has a gift for bringing calm and comfort wherever she goes. Kati, their social worker, is also compassionate and knowledgable.

Grace and Glory also educates families and community partners about hospice, palliative care, and how to navigate this stage of life with dignity and grace.

Our shared client received truly exceptional care from this team and their communication the whole way through was great. Thank you for providing such exceptional, personal, and heartfelt care to those in their final season of life! We are grateful for the work you do.
Christina C.
5 months ago
My grandmother was 95 years old when she began to use hospice services. She was keen on her own independence and it was important to her that she got to remain comfortable at home, and be able to continue do the things she wanted to do.

Our hospice team made our home feel peaceful, and allowed us to focus on spending quality time together. We especially wanted to give thanks to Mayra, Tania, and Isabella, who helped us greatly and were always just a call or message away, and to the whole team who helped us all hold together through our fear and grief.

We were surprised by how much our hospice staff would do for us, and the supplies and physical support they gave us. We weren't ready to lose her, but they made it a time where we could be together without the stress of day to day care needs. We could plan together, and it was easier to keep her safe, comfortable, and free from pain. If you are thinking about hospice services, don't hesitate to reach out to Grace and Glory.
Stephanie C.
6 months ago
Grace & Glory's approach and philosophy to hospice care is absolutely wonderful. A company ran by a nurse whose focus is on their patients comfort.
bossmr
6 months ago
I think that my letter to Jane, the owner of Grace and Glory, speaks for itself...
"Dear Jane,
I'm taking some time to thank Grace and Glory, and you specifically, for the care, support and love shown my wife and me since we came aboard.

The caregivers and nurses who come into our home demonstrate a passion for providing not only the medical care we need but, equally important - caring, love and, when needed, emotional support. I must heap special credit and praise for M***, D***** and, of course, L*** who are with us routinely and whom we've come to see as family. L*** recommended Grace and Glory to us and helped us transfer from another agency, a competent organization but focused primarily on their bottom line profitability lacking your grace and compassion.

Literally, everyone we have encountered with Grace and Glory has been professional, competent in their skills, knowledgeable and compassionate for D******'s condition. Sometimes, we've needed special help for an urgent situation, and help was always at hand - from your doctors, to your phone assistance late at night, to the on-call nurses who came to our home. Their commitment to HELP was ever present.

Its apparent to us that the excellence in Grace and Glory comes "from the top," and that is where this note comes full circle in thanking you specifically. You certainly named your company well!
Mikki E.
7 months ago
I have had the pleasure of working with the Grace and Glory team, they are kind, professional and always go the extra mile for who they are carrying for. I have worked with different families that have used Grace and Glory and each family has nothing but wonderful things to say. They work as a team to support the patient and the family. If a family member needs Hospice support I recommend Grace and Glory.

You Deserve Support Now

Living with serious illness is hard enough without struggling alone through difficult symptoms and confusing treatment decisions. Palliative care gives you an experienced team in your corner, focused entirely on improving your comfort and quality of life.

You don’t need to wait until things get worse. The support is available now, and it can make your days more manageable starting today. Call (650) 898-5784 or complete our online form to schedule your free evaluation. Let us help you focus on living well, even while managing serious illness.

Our team serves families throughout San Mateo County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Joaquin County, and surrounding areas. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.