Cedars-Sinai's Palliative Care Services understands the special concerns and challenges faced by families who live a distance away from a terminally ill loved one.

Palliative Care Services patients who have immediate family members living far away may give the Palliative Care Services team permission to maintain contact with immediate family members. Each member of the Palliative Care Services team carries cell phones and beepers to facilitate prompt long-distance contact with concerned family members. Faxes and e-mails are also used to communicate with family members.

Other services offered under this program:

• Information about advance directives and goal setting
• Information about local hotels or lodging
• Information about restaurants
• Information about car rentals
• Notification letters to airlines so family members can qualify for bereavement airfare rates
• Information on national and international funeral planning and interment arrangements