Comfort Tray Program

The Comfort Tray Program goes some way to helping family members cope when a loved one is near end-of-life. This program provides family members visiting palliative patients in Mount Sinai Hospital with a cart filled with food, refreshments and personal care items.

Anyone on your care team can request the tray from specially trained palliative volunteers, who can also help patients' loved ones with practical tasks or listen as they share their feelings.

"The initiative is making the hospital a more comforting place for families and patients," says Dr. Leah Steinberg, the physician who introduced the idea into the hospital.

"It sends the message that we recognize the significant value of family and caregiver presence during a difficult process. Caregivers' needs can be overlooked because attention is focused on the patient," says one of the program's volunteers. "This program will help ease the stress of families, thereby helping all those involved in the process."