LEWISTON — Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice, Maine’s largest independent nonprofit home health care organization, has expanded its palliative medicine offerings with the creation of the Maine Center for Palliative Medicine.

The center’s specially trained and certified physicians, nurse practitioners and multi-disciplinary team of nurses and social workers will collaborate with patients’ primary care providers to deliver whole-person medical care for those with serious and life-limiting illness. The focus of care extends beyond pain and symptom management to include emotional, spiritual and social advocacy, guidance and support depending on the specific needs and desires of the patient.

Maine Center for Palliative Medicine will also serve as a resource in Maine to provide specialty education and training for physicians, nurse practitioners and other health care professionals to increase the numbers of palliative care specialists in Maine, thereby increasing access to such services for patients in need. The center will also collaborate with other palliative care specialists in Maine to advance the science and best practice standards of care for patients with advanced and serious illness.

The goal of palliative medicine is to provide a better quality of life for patients and their families by providing relief from pain and other symptoms of a serious illness.