Palliative care is a specialized form of medicine that aims to enhance the quality of life of patients and their families who are faced with serious illness. It focuses on increasing comfort through the prevention and treatment of distressing symptoms. In addition to expert symptom management, palliative care focuses on clear communication on a patient’s wishes, advanced care planning, and coordination of care.
Palliative care encompasses the whole self, caring for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families.It provides relief from pain and other symptoms of illness such as fatigue,nausea,shortness of breath, andloss of appetite. The goal is to prevent and relieve these symptoms so you can get on with daily life.
KatarzynaBialasiewicz / iStockphoto
Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care
The terms “palliative care” and “hospice care” cannot be used interchangeably. Hospice is only one type of palliative care that can be provided in thelast six monthsof life. Traditional palliative care can be offered anytime in the course of an illness and ideally, should begin at the time of diagnosis.
As you can see from this illustration, there was an appropriate time for palliative care to get involved and an equally appropriate time to transition to hospice care.
The Palliative Care Team
It’s common practice in the treatment of illnesses to have several different healthcare providers treating separate conditions. For example, someone with diabetes may see an endocrinologist to manage blood sugars, a cardiologist to manage heart disease, and a nephrologist to manage kidney disease. A palliative care physician often acts as the conductor, orchestrating the care between several specialists to produce care that is in perfect harmony.
The team can offer support to patients and their loved ones, help them navigate through the healthcare process and assist in making healthcare choices that are right for them.
Settings
Palliative care can be given in a hospital setting, often times in conjunction with other therapies and treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. It can also be delivered as an outpatient, in a clinic or at a patient’s place of residence such as the patient’s own home, the home of a family member, or a nursing home. The goals of care are the same regardless of where a patient receives it. Your healthcare provider, nurse case manager, or social worker can direct you in finding palliative care. As of today, finding palliative care in an outpatient setting proves challenging but that is changing as more and more hospice organizations begin to offer traditional palliative care in addition to hospice care.
Who Can Benefit
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?Hackett J.The importance of holistic care at the end of life.Ulster Med J. 2017;86(2):143-144.National Institute of Health, National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?Hackett J.The importance of holistic care at the end of life.Ulster Med J. 2017;86(2):143-144.National Institute of Health, National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?Hackett J.The importance of holistic care at the end of life.Ulster Med J. 2017;86(2):143-144.National Institute of Health, National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
Hackett J.The importance of holistic care at the end of life.Ulster Med J. 2017;86(2):143-144.
National Institute of Health, National Institute on Aging.What are palliative care and hospice care?
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
