Palliative care focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious illness — whatever the diagnosis — and can be provided along with curative treatment. It also provides patients with much-needed education regarding advance care planning as well as their disease and its prognosis.
Our Approach
With palliative care, our goal is always to improve the quality of life for both patients and their family by working alongside providers to treat symptoms. The care team focuses on relieving pain and symptoms such as anxiety, shortness of breath, nausea, and depression.
Palliative care is proven to help reduce hospital admissions and readmissions and improve quality of life. They also will help the patient decide the next steps: the plan and goals of care.
Palliative care may also help patients gain strength, improve their ability to handle medical treatments, and offer more participation regarding their care.
Palliative care may be offered for people with illnesses such as:
Cancer
Heart disease
Lung disease
Kidney failure
Dementia
HIV/AIDS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Palliative Medical Director
Dr. Tiffany Richter
Dr. Richter brings a wealth of experience in palliative and hospice care across multiple settings and states. She is board certified in family medicine and palliative medicine, as well as Hospice Medical Director Board certified. Dr. Richter leads Agape Care Group’s South Carolina adult palliative care program.
Dr. Tiffany Richter graduated from medical school at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She went on to complete a residency in family medicine, followed by a fellowship in palliative medicine at Broward Health. Dr. Richter is board certified in family medicine and palliative medicine, as well as Hospice Medical Director Board certified. She leads Agape Care Group’s South Carolina adult palliative care program and will eventually lead the program throughout the Southeast.
Dr. Richter brings a wealth of experience in palliative and hospice care across multiple settings and states. She has practiced In-hospital palliative care in both Los Angeles, CA and in Charleston, SC, as well as an outpatient oncology focused palliative care clinic. She has also served as a full-time hospice medical director, caring for home hospice patients and patients in a freestanding hospice inpatient facility. Her history in this field has given her a passion for education and innovative models of care for patients with serious illness that focus on quality and patient experience.
Dr. Richter currently resides with her family in Charleston, SC.
Palliative Plan of Care
A plan of care is developed together with the patient, their health care providers, and the family. It may include and is not limited to the following:
Management of symptoms and side effects
Understanding of the disease status, process, and prognosis