Supportive and palliative care is a specialised approach to caring for people living with serious illness. At NCIS, our team works alongside your existing healthcare team to provide an extra layer of support — with a focus on improving quality of life for both patients and their families.
At NCIS, our palliative care team works alongside your existing healthcare providers to provide an additional layer of support for both patients and their families.
Palliative care is appropriate for people living with serious illnesses, regardless of age or stage of illness. While many patients at NCIS are receiving cancer treatment, palliative care may also support individuals living with conditions such as heart failure, kidney failure, advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, and progressive neurological conditions.
Palliative care can be provided alongside ongoing treatments and is tailored to each individual's needs and goals.
For patients who prefer to receive care outside of a hospital setting, palliative care is available through hospice services in the community. This includes home care for patients who wish to remain in familiar surroundings, day care programmes that provide support and activities during the day, and inpatient hospice care for those who require round-the-clock specialist support. Your care team can help you find the option that best suits your needs and circumstances.
Hospice home care allows patients to receive care in the comfort of their own home. A team of doctors, nurses, medical social workers, and counsellors works together to support both the patient and family, with a dedicated nurse making regular home visits. The frequency of visits is adjusted based on the patient's condition and needs.
Hospice day care is a daytime programme for patients who need care and support while their family members are at work or school. Trained healthcare professionals and volunteers organise daily activities and therapeutic programmes, such as art and movement therapy, providing patients with social and recreational opportunities while giving caregivers a period of respite.
Inpatient hospice care is suited for patients who require specialist care that cannot be provided at home. Round-the-clock medical and nursing care is available, with a focus on managing symptoms and pain to keep patients as comfortable as possible.
Learn more about palliative care services in Singapore here.
Palliative care is appropriate for anyone living with a serious or life-limiting illness, not just those with a terminal prognosis. This includes conditions such as heart failure, kidney disease, dementia, and Parkinson's disease. Patients actively receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation therapy can receive palliative care at the same time.
Palliative care is provided alongside existing treatment, not in place of it. Your oncologist continues to lead your cancer treatment, while the palliative care team focuses on managing symptoms, supporting wellbeing, and understanding your preferences for care.
Pain is one of many symptoms that palliative care addresses. The team also supports patients with nausea, breathlessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, anxiety, low mood, insomnia, and spiritua distress. A multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, medical social workers, and allied health professionals works together to address each patient's needs.
Subsidies are available for patients receiving care from providers, with the level of support determined by household monthly income per capita. Medisave may also be used for certain palliative care services.
See our charges and payments page for more information.
