Palliative Care: An Extra Layer of Support

An extra layer of support.

Who couldn’t use that in a sports bra before going on a long run? In their shoes before spending an entire day on your feet? In a cast that protects a broken bone?

Unlike spandex, orthotics, and fiberglass, an extra layer of support during a serious illness can come from friends, family, caregivers, and your doctor—in the form of Palliative Care.

While a cancer care team may be comprised of an oncologist, surgeon and/or radiation doctor, the cancer itself is only part of what a patient may struggle with. Enter the palliative care team, a group of specialists who work in tandem with cancer doctors to reduce the stress, side affects, and symptoms a cancer patient experiences so they can return to daily activities, increase their overall quality of life, and plan for the future.

Firefly Sisterhood and Angel Foundation co-hosted a Palliative Care Seminar for healthcare professionals recently, bringing in several experts in the field as well as a panel of individuals who’ve utilized palliative care options during treatment for a serious illness. Held annually, these seminars allow Firefly to connect with healthcare staff who share our program with their clients, to introduce our program to new clinic staff, and to provide training (including Continuing Education credits) in topics relevant to cancer care.

Palliative care is one of those important topics. Most of us equate palliative care with hospice or pain management. Dr. Vic Sandler, Medical Director of Homecare and Associate Medical Director of Hospice for Fairview Hospitals, describes palliative care as “care that improves the quality of life for patients—psychologically, socially, spiritually. It helps the patient and their family. An early consult with a palliative care provider is important. Palliative care should be written into a patient’s treatment plan.”

Unfortunately, “University of Minnesota Medical School students receive only 2 days of training in Palliative Care and Hospice,” explained Dr. Sandler. With so little instruction, it is no wonder then, that “(Most) of the time, patients and family members are waiting for their doctor to talk about a difficult prognosis, while (most) of the time the doctor is waiting for the patient to bring it up and ask questions.”

Sarah Jax, Certified Nurse Practicioner for Minnesota Oncology, and Kelly Grosklags, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, shared techniques and strategies that they use in their practice with patients and clients. A panel of three individuals then shared personal stories of how palliative care helped them and their family.

While the focus of the seminar was clinical in nature, you may have more questions about palliative care and how you or someone you love can utilize it to improve quality of life through a serious illness. For more information, visit:

• ASCO Cancer.net (American Society of Clinical Oncology) has in-depth information about what palliative care is an is not, who is part of the palliative care team, and how to talk with your doctor about it.
• Get Palliative Care shares helpful information about palliative care and how to talk to your doctor about it.
• WebMD has comprehensive information, including videos, about palliative care.

A sincere thank you to Dr. Vic Sandler, Sarah Jax, and Kelly Grosklags, the panelists, and all who attended the Palliative Care Seminar. A special thank you to

• Premier Sponsor: CRL Women’s Imaging
• Sponsor: Minnesota Oncology
• Exhibitors: Alexion, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Eisai, Genentech, Gilead, Merck, and Pfizer

Finally, thank you to Angel Foundation for co-hosting the Palliative Care Seminar with us!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller

Written by Amy Tix, Firefly Staffer and breast cancer survivor, who was so impressed by the speakers and the information that was shared.