Mass General Brigham Home-based Palliative Care provides specialized medical care, symptom management, and emotional support for individuals with serious illnesses in their own homes.
Home-based Palliative Care brings expert medical care, symptom management, and emotional support directly to your home—helping you and your loved ones navigate complex health challenges with comfort and dignity.
Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on improving quality of life for individuals facing serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart failure, COPD, advanced dementia, and other progressive or life-limiting conditions.
Palliative care at home is designed for patients who:
By providing palliative care at home, we help patients maintain independence, reduce unnecessary hospital visits, and receive compassionate, personalized care tailored to their goals and values.
While both palliative care and hospice focus on comfort and quality of life, there are key differences.
Home-based palliative care offers specialized medical care for individuals living with serious illnesses.
How we support you:
Through home and telemedicine visits, our multidisciplinary team of palliative medicine specialists (physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, and social workers) provides:
What to expect as a patient:
All members of our team communicate regularly with your primary care provider, specialists, and other community-based providers.
Patients may receive this care for months to years, depending on their needs and preferences.
To qualify, patients must:
To begin home-based palliative care, start by talking to your primary care provider or specialist and requesting a referral. Once we receive the referral, our team will review your medical history to determine your eligibility.
Mass General Brigham Home-based Palliative Care provides specialized medical care, symptom management, and emotional support for individuals with serious illnesses in their own homes.
Palliative care is available at any stage of illness and focuses on symptom relief alongside ongoing treatments. Hospice is specifically for patients with a life expectancy of six months or less who choose comfort care instead of curative treatments.
Yes! Our team works alongside your existing doctors to provide additional support.
You can receive palliative care at home as long as you have ongoing palliative care needs. If your condition improves, we will ensure your primary doctor or specialist knows how to refer you back to us if needed in the future.
Not at all! This service is about enhancing comfort and quality of life, regardless of your treatment choices.
Most private insurance plans, as well as Medicaid and Medicare, cover palliative care services. Coverage details depend on your specific plan, so we recommend verifying benefits with your insurer.
Talk to your primary care provider or specialist about a referral. Our team will review your medical history to determine eligibility.