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Visiting address
Department of Oncology, 1st floor
Haartmaninkatu 4, Helsinki, Finland
Mailing address
P.O. Box 180
FI-00029 HUS
Opening hours Mon to Fri 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.
HUCH Palliative Care Unit offers services for cancer patients in the HUS area as well as for patients suffering from other fatal, pain-causing diseases deteriorating the quality of life. Palliative or symptomatic care seeks to alleviate the physical, psychosocial and spiritual suffering of patients; to sustain the quality of life of patients and their families; and to maintain patients' ability to function.
Patients need a referral from a physician to be admitted to the unit. Family members are welcome to attend the appointments. A consulting physician also visits other clinics at Meilahti Hospital upon request.
A comprehensive plan for palliative or end-of-life care is drawn up at the Palliative Care Unit, in cooperation with the patient and his or her family. The need for symptom relief and psychosocial support, support measures required by patients at care, the patient's wishes and expectations, and family members’ ability to cope and support needs are assessed at an appointment. In order to arrange help at patient’s home and, later, safe end-of-life care, the patient's local treatment provider is specified, and all necessary treatment and support measures are implemented in co-operation with them, including treatment requiring specialised medical care such as radiation therapy for pain.
Inpatient care is mainly implemented at the inpatient ward of the patient's local hospital, endo-of-life care ward or at Terhokoti, excluding short-term, necessary treatment periods at the inpatient wards of the Department of Oncology in situations requiring specialised medical care.
Specialists in oncology, general medicine, geriatrics and anesthesiology working at the unit are specialised in palliative medicine. In addition, specialising physicians under the guidance of specialists work at the unit. Nurses working at the unit have specialist training in palliative care and long experience in the field. The treatment team also includes a social worker, physical therapist, dietician, psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and a pastor. This guarantees extensive competence and help, even in difficult cases.
The Palliative Care Unit operates in close co-operation with the Psychosocial Support Unit of HUCH Department of Oncology, Meilahti Pain Management Clinic, Terhokoti and basic health care home hospitals and end-of-life care units, all of which guarantee high quality, symptomatic end-of-life care.