Palliative care is a specialized model of care incorporating medical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects, all with a goal of relieving the burdens of a serious illness. The palliative care model can well be applied to most diseases to improve the quality of life for both patients and families. A “transdisciplinary” team of a doctor, nurse, social worker, and chaplain assess patients based on their needs, not on their prognosis. Although hospice incorporates this form of care near the end of life, palliative care is appropriate at any stage of a serious illness, including right from the point of diagnosis. While it addresses physical symptoms, it also aims to minimize emotional trauma and suffering from stress and to enhance spiritual wellness throughout the course of a disease, as an additional layer of support for the patient and family.
In this second podcast of our two-part series on palliative care and hospice, Adriana Gonzalez, LCSW of the University of California, San Diego, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, talks about the benefits of palliative care, the ongoing relationship of the care team with the patient and family, and how this form of care can specifically address the needs of people with Parkinson’s disease, including their non-motor symptoms.
Related Resources
- Fact Sheet: Palliative and Hospice Care
- Caring and Coping: A Care Partner’s Guide to Parkinson’s Disease (book)
- Expert Briefing: Advanced Parkinson's and Palliative Care in the 21st Century (webinar)
- Episode 41: Palliative Care as Supportive Care in PD (podcast)
- Implementing Team-based Outpatient Palliative Care in Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence
About This Episode
Released: June 1, 2021
Adriana Gonzalez, LCSW
Adriana Gonzalez is a graduate of San Diego State University obtaining her master’s degree in social work and is licensed in the state of California. Adriana has spent the last nine years dedicated to providing clinical social work services in a medical setting, eight of those years have been at the University of California in San Diego. As the social worker at the Parkinson and Other movement disorders center, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, Adriana has been committed to working closely with the Parkinson’s Disease community to not only meet the needs of the patients treated at the center but also the Parkinson’s Disease community at large. During her time at the center, she has developed a Latino outreach program & collaborated with local support groups and community organizations to educate the community about Parkinson’s Disease. Adriana has completed an intensive advanced palliative care certificate program for social workers and alongside the palliative care team at UCSD has played an integral role in developing & participating in a Palliative Care clinic specifically for people living with a neurological disorder. Adriana is a strong advocate for supporting patients in maintaining their quality of life throughout their Parkinson’s disease journey from diagnosis to advancing disease.
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