Center to Advance Palliative Care

I'm a hospice/pallaitive doc in CA. If your father is not receiving chemotherapy (or perhaps even if he is, if for the relief of symptoms), he would qualify for a hospice program based on prognosis alone, even if he is working and active. The hospice program should be able to provide aggressive symptom management to help him live as well as he can for as long as he lives. Paracentesis, if needed, should be part of that care. If there is a hospice in the area, I would call (with dad's permission) to discuss this with them. If the PCP is unwilling to refer, perhaps the hospice medical director would be willing to contact him for an informative chat. Many docs either don't know about hospice, misunderstand it, or are simply uncomfortable discussing these issues (which as a nurse I'm sure you know). I hope you can help your dad get the palliative care he needs and deserves. :)