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Comforting Hands

Palliative Care

Palliative care is a special kind of healthcare for individuals living with a life-limiting illness. The goal of palliative care is to provide comfort and dignity, as well as, the best quality of life. Palliative care may be introduced alongside other therapies intended to cure or modify disease. When curative treatments are no longer effective, palliative care may become the main focus of care for patients and families. Psychosocial and palliative care is whole-person care for patients and their families when they are facing a life-limiting and life-threatening illness.
 

​You may be seen by a palliative care doctor or team because you have pain or other symptoms from your illness. You may be given palliative care support at any time throughout your journey. Palliative care is an important element at any point in the continuum of care, from diagnosis through to survivorship or end-of-life. The aim of palliative care is to prevent and alleviate symptoms and suffering while striving to promote an excellent quality of life. 
 

Palliative care aims to relieve suffering and improve the quality of living and dying. It strives to help individuals and families to: 

  • address physical, psychological, social, spiritual and practical issues, and their associated expectations, needs, hopes and fears 

  • prepare for and manage end-of-life choices and the dying process 

  • cope with loss and grief 

  • treat all active issues and prevent new issues from occurring 

  • promote opportunities for meaningful and valuable experiences and personal and spiritual growth 

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Palliative Care is: 

  • Appropriate for any individual or family living with, or at risk of developing, a life-threatening illness due to any diagnosis, with any prognosis, regardless of age, and at any time they have unmet expectations or needs, and are prepared to accept care 

  • May be provided alongside treatments for the disease, or may become the total focus of care 

  • Most effectively delivered by an inter-professional team of health care providers skilled in all parts of the caring process related to hospice palliative care that includes the patient, their caregiver(s) and often volunteers 

  • Person-centred and family-centred, respecting their social, spiritual and cultural practices 

  • Includes end-of-life care but is not limited to the time immediately before death 

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