Palliative care is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, such as cancer or heart failure. It is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness, with the goal of improving the patients quality of life. Palliative care can be provided at any age and at any stage of a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment.
Palliative care is meant to enhance a person's current care by focusing on quality of life for them and their family. It is a resource for anyone living with a serious illness, such as heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and many others. Palliative care can be helpful at any stage of illness and is best provided soon after a person is diagnosed.
A palliative care team is made up of multiple different professionals that work with the patient, family, and the patient's other doctors to provide medical, social, emotional, and practical support. The team is comprised of palliative care specialist doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and other trained specialists who work together with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative care specialists improve quality of life for the patients whose needs are most complex.
Palliative care is not the same as hospice care, which is often associated with end-of-life care. Unlike hospice care, which is focused on relieving symptoms and providing comfort care for people in the last six months of life, palliative care can benefit people of any age and at any stage of a serious illness.
